Crawl
by zzcocomuffinzz
Summary: Ino doesn't want a hand to hold as she tries to pick herself up, so he stands behind her with his arms open wide, ready to catch her if she fell.
1. Crawl: Mad World

**1. Mad World**

His morning started with a quite rude awakening. The dull light of the sun shone through the small window, hitting him perfectly in his half opened, tired eyes. Shikamaru groaned and rolled to his other side, tightening the blankets around his shoulders when he felt his father tugging at them. "Shikamaru, wake up. The Hokage has summoned you," his father whispered. "She said it was an emergency."

Shikamaru's attention sparked and quickly forethought his options. He could simply skip this sudden meeting…. Then again, if he were to skip his meeting with his superior, especially during an emergency, that would mean she would personally hunt him down and give him a good beating, possibly doing great harm to his genitals, which wouldn't be appreciated on his part.

"Do you know what she wants?" Shikamaru grumbled.

"No."

The young man glanced at his digital clock that rested on his nightstand, and he inwardly groaned at the time. What did Tsunade want at six in the freaking morning? Couldn't it wait? Shikaku patted Shikamaru on the hip and told him to hurry - in Shikamaru's head, Shikamaru's conscience screamed his genitals were on the line - and Shikamaru bounced out of his bed and rushed out the door with a toothbrush in his mouth while tugging his shoes on.

The sun barely shone over the horizon of the massive trees surround the village. Shikamaru watched birds tweet and twirl in the neon colored sky as he ascended the lengthy staircase to the Hokage's office. Before he knew it, he was in front of the scarlet doors of her office. Giving the door two quick raps, he announced, "It's Shikamaru; I'm coming in."

Tsunade remained silent. Her fingers clamped onto her ratty, blonde hair as she stared at a file sitting on her desk. Shikamaru strained to see the contents. All he could see was a picture of a young blonde woman with clear, blue eyes and a thin smile. Ino.

Ino. He hasn't seen much of her lately. Shikamaru did recall Ino mentioning something about how excited she was about her first solo mission…. Maybe that's why Anko (insert very pissed off face here) suddenly started accompanying Choji and him on recent missions.

"Ino has been reported missing," Tsunade mumbled. "I just got the message, but Jin says it's been over two weeks since her disappearance." She sighed and rubbed his temples as she glared at the file before her. "I have no idea why he would wait this long to send a missing person report. Ino could be dead for all we know. Inoichi will be heartbroken…."

The words rung in Shikamaru's head, but for the life of him, he couldn't put two-and-two together. Tsunade's eyebrows raised as she waited for his response. Shikamaru inwardly panicked. He didn't know how to react - it was too damn early for emotions, so he stood in front of his superior with a clueless expression.

"Can you repeat that?" he asked.

"Ino is missing," she said, faster than the previous time. "I'm assigning you to a search mission and –"

"Ino is missing…."

"**Ino is missing, and I need you to find her now!**" Tsunade slammed her hands in her desk and hoisted her weak, sleep-deprived body up. "Goodness, you're useless in the morning."

"You may continue…," Shikamaru mumbled, trying to shake off the useless comment. "I'm going on a search mission…."

Tsunade stared at Shikamaru for a long minute, staying completely silent. Shikamaru rubbed his heels together, waiting for her scrutinizing to end. Shizune, who was asleep on the couch, snored loudly during the awkward silence between the Shikamaru and his superior.

"You're going to find Ino, dead or alive, and bring her home."

"Any regards to her mission?"

Tsunade shook her head and dropped into her spinning chair. She rolled to a file cabinet and began to flip through the files. "Ino can forget that mission. I sent a message to Jin saying I'm withdrawing her from the mission, and he can keep his money - it wasn't great pay anyway. He has his stupid Cloud shinobi to figure out his problems. As for Ino, she won't see a solo mission in the next sixty years! Anymore questions?"

"Why are you sending me?" It was an honest question. Shikamaru didn't specialize in searching. As a kid, he sucked at hide-and-seek. What is the difference between now and then? Searching for Ino is like one big game of hide-and-seek. Only, there are countless number of hiding spots for Ino to hide in and her life could potentially be in danger, or she could be dead this very second…. Shikamaru gulped down the lump growing in his throat and hoped Ino was still alive.

Tsunade turned her attention back to thumbing through the files. "As harsh as it seems, Ino is just one person, and - how should I put this? - she doesn't hold much significance to the village compared to people like Kakashi or you." Finally, Tsunade pulled out a thin file and slapped it on her desk. She was reluctant with making eye contact but forced herself to do so. "I can't be sending a legitimate search team after someone like that. I have to keep teams available."

_So she sends the smartest in the village because…?_Shikamaru didn't ask that because he didn't feel like eating a knuckle sandwich from the strongest woman to ever walk the planet for breakfast.

The tension circulated heavily through the room. Shizune, who was dead asleep, felt the tension and cracked her eyelids to see the commotion. Shikamaru glared at his superior, who stared blankly back at him. Shikamaru was the first to speak. "I'll find her."

Tsunade pushed the file towards him. "She was last seen in Cloud. Ino's co-worker says Ino left with some 'really hot guy' after her shift at the Blue Pub. I want you to leave before noon, please."

"Understood."

"You're dismissed."

* * *

Her body ached worse than usual that horrible morning. Her limbs felt heavy, and it seemed impossible to lift her arms up to pull up the blankets twisted around her sliced legs, which stung immensely if she even thought about moving them. As she moved a leg to lift the blankets up, she bit her lip as a stinging sensation shot up her thigh and quickly snatched the blanket, wrapping it around her shivering shoulders. The pain failed to cease.

The reoccurring nightmares kept her up yet another night. Ino counted the painful, sleepless nights. She glanced at the calendar, counting all the X's that marked the past days, which totaled to thirteen days, and if she counted this day, she's locked herself in the hotel room for two weeks. It's been two weeks since it happened...

"_That was good, Ino. You have to be my favorite."_

"Get out of my head!" she cried, jerking into an upright position. Her vision blurred from sitting up too fast, making her lay back down. Tears slid down her temples as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to repress the persistent memories of that night. Repression only worked for a short time. It was only a matter of time until the memories attacked her mind. Until then, Ino could only do what she allowed herself to do.

In two weeks, she hasn't left the small, hotel rooms she rented the morning after the horrific event.

She promised herself she'd get it together and make it back home soon. After hours of thinking, she concluded no one would want someone like her around. Her family would be ashamed of her if they found out. Her friends would never speak or look at her again. Even if she decided to go home, she knew there would be no way to walk back home with all the wounds that persisted to rip open whenever she made the slightest movement. She was weak. Worthless.

Every day that passed, she promised herself hollow promises about finding a job and a permanent place to stay in Kumokagure. She promised she'd get better, and everything would be fine in the end. However, she wondered how anything could get better if she couldn't build the courage to step out of the door. Walking around Cloud didn't appeal to her. Well, nowadays, nothing appealed to her. Even the thoughts of going back home didn't sound pleasing, because of the thoughts of her friends and family knowing her dirty secret, and there was no doubt her secret would spread throughout the village. Her logic concluded to stay gone, away from Konoha, and to start a new life in Cloud.

"_I'm feeling merciful tonight, girl, and I've met my quota for the month, so I think I'll spare your life. Does that sound good?" _

Ino clamped her eyelids shut and thought about happier things, like her family and life back home.

* * *

According to Tsunade, there was absolutely no time for a nap, and he must quickly prepare for his mission. Shikamaru hated extensive missions. On top of hating extensive missions, he hated Kumokagure. It was the village of splitting headaches, nosebleeds, lack of air, and the freezing cold. Of all the places Ino could get lost in, she chooses Cloud.

Shikamaru's parents said their farewells. His mother, like always, kissed his forehead and warned him not to knock anyone up or Tsunade won't be the only one wanting to do serious damage to his genitals. As usual, she was dead serious. Shikaku patted his son on the back with enough force to make Shikamaru lurch forward.

"Bring her back, Son."

Shikamaru smiled and patted his father on the shoulder. "I'll be home soon, hopefully."

He didn't want his parents to walk him to the gate. Shikamaru ended that when he was fifteen. A real man doesn't have parents or any sort of loved one walk him to the gates to say their goodbyes.

* * *

**Well, I'd like to think the first chaper came out a-okay, if I do say so myself.**

** :}**


	2. Crawl: Breakaway

**2. Breakaway**

The springs in the mattress sqeaked noisily when Shikamaru flopped back onto the bed after the seventh day of travel. He kicked off his sandals and rubbed his sore feet. After the fourth day, all Shikamaru wanted was a long rest in a comfortable bed and a long foot massage. He wanted to be home, eating his mother's wonderful food. Training sounded better than this, and he hated training! All of this is just trouble, trouble, trouble.

Tsunade had better pay him heavy cash for this.

Shikamaru wasn't far from the village of high altitude and nosebleeds. In fact, it was about a two-hour walk from the tourist village he was now residing in. Considering he was so close to the village, Shikamaru planned to sleep in until mid-afternoon. He didn't care if Tsunade rushed in and started threatening him to wake up bright and early to look for his missing comrade; he thought he rightfully deserved to sleep in.

At least, that's what he thought until his conscience kicked in.

What about Ino? What could she be doing right about now, at ten in the evening? Her kidnapper could be torturing her as Shikamaru laid in his not-so comfortable bed…. It was still a bed compared to the concrete floor Ino could be sleeping on for the past - _how long has it been? _Shikamaru thought. Somewhere, Ino's possibly locked up in chains while Shikamaru could freely roam around. He could even get naked, party, and run the streets of this tourist village with his dignity flying in the wind.

Shikamaru shook his head, knocking out the negative thoughts from his mind. No one knows Ino better than Shikamaru…. Well, maybe with the exception of Sakura or Tenten, but they were girls, and they do not count. Man wise, no other man knows Ino better than Shikamaru. He knew Ino was a tough girl, and no kidnapper could touch a strand of her pretty, blonde hair without their ear bitten off by her. The thought eased Shikamaru's nerves gradually until he dozed off and dreamed off Temari.

* * *

"_That was good, girl," the man said as he pulled himself away from her. Ino grabbed the disheveled covers and pulled them over her. She curled into a ball and silently wept in the dirty blankets. They smelt dirty and musty. The smell made her want to puke. _

_The stranger walloped her rear, receiving a surprised whimper from her. He laughed at her and leaned over her. Ino tightened the blanket around her nude body, closed her eyes, and hoped this was all a dream and this man hovering over her would disappear. _

"_Time for round two," he whispered in her ear. _

_Ino's eyes opened and disgustingly gawked at the man's bright, lavender eyes. She felt the man rip the blanket off her and threw her only protection across the room. _

"_Please, no." _

Screaming, Ino woke up from the nauseating flashback.

Every night supplied a vicious dream of that horrible night. Every night after every dream, she threw off the blankets and pushed her shirt up to her breasts to see if the scars and scabbed gashes disappeared from her stomach, and everything was just a dream. However, no matter how many times she checked each night, the wounds were still present, and it was definitely reality. However, this night was different from all the rest. She didn't pull off the blankets or her clothes. She pulled the blankets closer to her frigid body, squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to fall back asleep.

The second time Ino woke up, her stomach ached and burned, causing her to heat up under her blanket. She tossed the blankets aside and lifted her shirt up to her breast. The gash across the width of her stomach throbbed and leaked squirts of blood.

Ino growled and rolled onto her stomach, ignoring the stinging pain ripping across the skin of her abdomen. Gradually, she stepped off the bed, holding an arm across her stomach, hoping the pressure would soothe the grumbling and the bleeding wound. It helped neither. The blood seeped through her shirt as Ino searched the cabinets for pain pills, bandages, and some food.

"I'm gonna rip his dick off if I ever see him again," she promised herself while chewing on soggy cereal.

Ino glared at the calendar pinned to the wall. It's been three weeks. It's been three whole weeks since she's been outside. Surprisingly, no one has complained about hogging up the room. They shouldn't be complaining anyway since she paid extra for the room, and she pays them to go grocery shopping for her.

It was pathetic. She had people buying her groceries because she didn't have the guts to do it herself. She was afraid to take a step out of that pale gray door, down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the rotating doors.

Today is the day, Ino decided. She was finally going outside to find herself an apartment and a job. She planned to visit Jin and discuss a few things with him before going job and apartment hunting. Maybe, if she were nice to Jin, he could give her job back as a bartender. Life would be good, right?

_No_, Ino thought. _Wait, yes, it will. _

After three weeks of voluntary solitary confinement, Ino realized there were two sides to her. There was the victim Ino, and there was the Ino that wanted to be better. Victimized Ino wanted to stay in bed and stay out of the public eye while Better Ino wanted to go out into the world and live her life instead of dreading on it. She knew the last thing is to dwell on the past.

Ino couldn't decide who she wanted to be.

* * *

"Excuse me, sir, have you seen this girl?" Shikamaru showed the store cashier the picture of Ino. Asuma took the picture of Ino a few months before she left. Asuma thought it was a great idea to bring a camera during their training and snap pictures of them when they least expected it. Ino sat against a tree as she was chugging the remnants of her water bottle. Asuma called her name, she cracked one eye open, and he took the picture.

Shikamaru thought it was a radiant picture. She practically glowed in the picture, sending happy vibes to whoever saw the picture. Ino thought it was hideous and demanded the picture shredded to itty bity pieces. Choji and Shikamaru thought differently and kept the picture safe, out of her treacherous hands.

"Sorry, boy," the clerk said, "I haven't seen her."

"Thanks, anyway." Shikamaru mumbled.

No one has seen Ino, so every villager in this stupid village was useless to his search for his teammate. Why was life so hard? Why couldn't life give him a short cut a time or two? This morning, he woke up extra early so he could gain a head start. Shikamaru hoped Ino was in the village, so he did not have to make a trip to Cloud and save himself from bleeding noses and a constant headache.

"It looks like I'm going to Cloud." Shikamaru grabbed Ino's mission file and reviewed it one last time, memorizing the address of the Pub and the face of the owner, Jin.

* * *

Ino couldn't do it. As soon as she stepped into the lobby of the inn, she pivoted and ran back to her room. She just wasn't ready to go outside just yet.

_You're trash, _Ino thought. She slammed her back against the door and slide down the length of it, crashing onto the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned her forehead on her bony knees. _You're nobody. How could you let someone do that to you, you dumbass? It's all your fault. _

Ino shook her head. It wasn't true. None of it was true.

_You are the one who decided to go with that guy. You knew what he was up to. What do you have to say for yourself? _

Ino's body numbed as exhaustion took over her body. "You're right," she whispered.

"_Stop!"_

_A knife peeled across Ino's stomach, blooding pooling into the fresh cut. Blood streamed down her sides, dotting the white mattress with scarlet. Ino hissed as the pain began to set it. She screamed, hoping and waiting for this excruciating pain to cease. She heard the nameless man's laugh as he watched her wither in agony. _

_He couldn't wait for her pain to subside; he ran the blade of his knife down her thigh and made sure she was screaming her lungs out with every inch of her skin he cut. _

"_Blondie, I know you're in a lot of fucking pain," he said with his confident grin Ino hated so much. "Too make you feel better, I'll say this: this is hurting me a lot more than it's hurting you." Without much warning, he drove himself into her. _

"Stop!"

"Sorry!" a voice shouted from the hallway.

The room was coal black. For a second, Ino didn't know whether she opened her eyes or not. From such an intense flashback like that, Ino did not have any energy to go looking for the light switch. Her wounds throbbed in response to the dream and the sudden movement from her abrupt awakening.

The green, blinking numbers on the microwave were the only thing glowing in the black abyss. It read two. Judging by how little light shone through the open window, she assumed it was two in the morning.

As Ino crawled to her bed, groaned and complaining about how much everything hurts, she thought about going job and apartment hunting in the afternoon. Ino had to get her life started sometime, right? She's been coped up in her head and in the inn room for way too long. It was time for her to move on with her life, despite the emotional and physical hardships her situation will possibly bring. Paying for the inn room bore a huge hole in her pocket, and she didn't know if she had enough money to pay for the room anymore. .

Her body happily tingled and relaxed when her tired muscle met the cozy mattress. After kicking off her shoes, she pinched the blanket between her toes and pulled the blanket into arms reach.

She missed her dad tucking her in when she was a young girl. He would tuck her in perfectly and then plant a sloppy kiss on her forehead. "I love you so much, Ino," her papa would say. "You're the best thing Mama and Daddy could ever ask for." She missed his benevolent words. Once Ino reached eleven, she forced him to stop tucking her into bed. She was too old for bed tucking and forehead kisses. Now at the age of nearly twenty, Ino wished her father could tuck her into bed and say, "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

* * *

Thank you to everyone who read all this craziness, and thanks to those who reviewed.

**Please review, and tell me what you think so far!**


	3. Crawl: Hide and Seek

**3. Hide and Seek **

**

* * *

**_No way in Hell am I turning back now. _

Ino was going to go out into the world and find her place in the Cloud village. Her stomach somersaulted and twisted nervously. She hasn't been this nervous since her first day of the academy or during the Chuunin exams. Being all worked up about something she used to do every day seemed stupid. She's seen and done many things on missions that got her riled up, so how come simply going outside gave her a panic attack every time she thought about it?

Before preparing for the day ahead of her, Ino stared in the mirror, glaring at her reflection. _You can do it, Ino_, she thought, giving herself a pep talk. For the most part, it worked. A tiny voice deep in her brain said she wasn't ready for the outside world, just stay inside for a while longer. Ino marched out the door with her shoulders pulled back and her head held high as she repressed the negative thoughts, shoving them away.

Just before the rotating doors, Ino stopped to pull out a pink scarf from her small, white satchel and wrapped the scarf around her neck, pulling the scarf a smidge to cover her mouth and nose. She buttoned her purple coat closed and covered her scarred hands with the ends of her sleeves. Before she took her first steps, she looked down at her healing legs and regretted wearing a dress, but it's too late to turn back now, she decided.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed against the rotating entrance. Her heart raced as she took her first step onto the sidewalk on the main street… then tough winds swung the doors, shoving Ino back into the lobby. She couldn't believe it. This had to be a sign. Her brain tells her she's not ready to go out, and then the wind tells her to stay inside.

"I'd advise you to stay inside, miss."

"I'll do whatever the hell I want!" Ino unnecessarily shouted, taking a running start for the door. Her brain, the wind, and the receptionist could kiss her ass.

She flew outside, hitting a group of elderly women as she jumped through the rotating doors. The doors spun rapidly round and round, making it impossible for others to enter the inn.

Finally.

The skyscrapers seemed to lean forward, threatening to topple over her in second. She forgot how big this city was. People gorged the sidewalks and streets, giving no one any bubble space. The idea of being so close to people sent uneasy shivers down her spine and made her stomach flip.

_Whatever,_ Ino thought; _no one is going to hurt you_. She hoped, at least.

Ino walked passed smitten couples, who swung their intertwined hands and talked animatedly and smiled at each other with a glint in their eyes like their significant other was the most beautiful thing they've ever seen. The sight sickened Ino. She glowered at the couples and walked faster to get away from them.

Old women sat on park benches and gossiped, whispering about the people who passed them.

Tall buildings surrounded the park. Every time she saw the skyscrapers, the height and size of the buildings amazed her. How could anyone make such huge building? Beyond the skyscrapers, she barely noticed the patches of blue dotting the sky and wondered if anyone here actually saw the stars in the night sky, or if they've seen the bright moon. Back home, the stars lit the streets up with their glittering glow. When she was younger, she would connect the stars to make some sort of an animal, object, or find the constellations. Her mother taught her about the constellations

There was nothing pretty about Cloud, whatsoever. People lived up in the beautiful mountains, where the view could be breath taking and extravagant, and they decided to building enormous buildings that take the view away. Konoha was a place of amazing beauty. The people who founded Konoha had to be architecturally smart. Everything about that village was eye appealing to her, from the Hokage Mountain to the house and apartments, and she thought the training grounds were attractive despite the fact there are booby traps set throughout the majority of them.

Ino skid to a stop when she noticed a blue, neon sign flickering between two enormous skyscrapers. If it weren't for the blue, broken sign that read 'LUE UB', it'd be impossible to find the Blue Pub.

Even though no one was working, Jin left the entrance open with the open sign hanging in the large window. Tiny, dimly lit streetlights led the way to the tavern located in the eerie darkness. A breeze of wind gusted by the alleyways, creating an eerie whistle making Ino rush inside.

Before swinging the door open, she peered through the window to check if any of the employees were running about. Ino couldn't see anyone sitting at the tables playing their usual games of war, poker, or black jack. Ino cracked the door open, slipping through the crack she made for herself, and then pushed the door closed quietly.

As usual, while scrubbing the counter and glasses clean, Jin stared at the tiny television placed on the corner of the counter, by the cash register. Jin was a germ nut, and he spent the off hours cleaning every nook and cranny of his pub, so Ino wasn't surprised to find him scrubbing the already scrubbed glasses.

"Sorry, we're closed. Come back later," Jin grunted with his eyes still fixated on the screen.

Ino pulled the scarf down to her neck, revealing frowning, chapped lips. "I lived here, last time I checked."

Ino watched Jin's face flood with confusion until he ripped his eyes away from the television. His dim eyes widened at the sight of his lost bartender. "You're alive."

"Damn straight I'm alive!" Ino bellowed, slamming the side of her fist into the wall, shaking suspended pictures. "I found your kidnapper!" The memories flooded back into her mind. The flashes of his face and dirty grin were kindling to her sudden anger. "Did you know the girls are dead? He killed them?"

The newscaster filled the awkward tension between Jin and Ino. Why was he gawking at her like that? Abruptly, startling Ino, Jin began to laugh, a hardy laugh, a hardy, gut jiggling laugh. Ino kicked a stool across the room. "You sick, old man! Why are you laughing?"

Jin's laughing fit died after a few moments of Ino biting his ear off with unnecessary insults. He waved the insults off and with a sigh, continued to towel off the wet glasses. "You need to calm down, Ino," Jin said, keeping a calm tone with her.

"What the hell are you taking about? I am calm."

A quick chuckle hummed in his throat. Ino gave the man a disapproving glare. "I just find it funny how you burst in here and fail to explain where you've been for the past few weeks."

"He killed your employees! You are lucky I…fought him off, or I wouldn't be here to warn you! More and more girls would start to disappear, and no one would want to work for you because they would hear rumors! This isn't funny, Jin! If I were you, I would relocate quickly."

Jin shook his head. "No can do, honey. I spent my life savings to get this place, and there's no chance I'll be relocating all because some killer."

"That's sick."

"I'll take extra precautions. How does that sound?"

"Not good enough. He _killed _your employees. Does that not worry you at all?"

Ino slightly jumped when Jin slammed a glass down on the counter and sternly stared at her. "I'll walk the girls who don't live here myself, or I'll send one of the boys to walk them home. How does that sound?"

Ino leaned against the counter, suddenly exhausted. "Better, but please don't let Takao do it."

"What's wrong with Takao?"

"Takao can't fight anyone off. Would he hit the guy with his purse? Chuck lipstick at the guy's face?"

"Takao doesn't own make up."

"You're taking it too literal."

"So, you're saying Takao's too feminine to fight someone?"

"Minako has a better chance."

"Oh."

"Now, we're off topic!" Ino sighed. "I want extra precautions taken, Jin! If one more girl disappears, you will relocate," she threatened under her breath, "and if you don't, I know people who are very good at persuading."

Jin grunted in response.

Ino tapped the toe of her shoe against the floorboards, twiddling her thumbs behind her back. "Just as a precaution, I'd like to stay here and keep an eye out. He's still on the loose."

"You could just ask me you want to stay here, Ino."

"I don't want to stay here because I want to. I'm here to protect the other girls in case he comes around again…. I could point him out to you if he ever comes back."

Jin leaned against the counter, setting his glass to the side. Ino stepped back subconsciously, earning a curious lift of the eyebrow from Jin. "You just want your job back to make enough money to get your own place, am I right?"

Ino remained silent.

"All you young people are the same. Besides, you have your own place back in Konoha, right? I don't wanna get in trouble just because you decided to go AWOL."

"Sorry?"

The older man mumbled something incoherent under his breath, hung his head then lifted his head to look at Ino with sincere eyes. There was no way Jin could say no to her. He had a big heart and really did care about his employees even though it didn't seem like it from what he previously said about not relocating his pub. Mumbling some sort of gibberish, Jin nodded his head and beckoned her to follow him.

Two floors divided the pub. The bar was the first floor, and the second floor housed the employees. Why Jin housed the employees, she didn't know, but it was nice of him because none of the employees had family here. Plus, the cheapest apartments and homes were across the village, which happened to be an hour walk.

From what Ino remembered, there were four employees (excluding her) living in the dorms, two in a room. There were five rooms upstairs - well, technically three because Jin used the last room as storage, and the bathroom doesn't really count as a room parse. The rooms were placed on one side of the hallway considering there wasn't enough room to put two rooms on one side and three on the other. If there were two rooms of each side, the boys would reside on one side while the girls had the other side. She remembered one of the guys having a lonely night, and the constant thumping and grunting kept her up most of the night, leaving her severely disturbed afterwards.

Before her accident, she bunked with Minako, a young woman about three or four year older than her who could pass as Ino's twin when it came to looks. As for her personality, Minako bounced off the walls every second of the day and ran her mouth constantly. Minako reminded Ino of Naruto sometimes.

"Sorry, you won't have your old room. Minako took it, and there's a new girl who's bunking with her. So, you'll be sharing with Sachiko." Five employees now, Ino corrected.

Ino shrugged. "It's fine with me. Can you give me the key?"

"Here. Oh, Ino, you do know my policy right? You live here -"

"You serve beer," Ino distastefully finished his saying. "Gotcha. What are my hours?"

"I was hoping you'd be all right with the hours you had before."

"It's fine with me. I'm gonna go find a day job. I'll be back before six-thirty then. Chao."

Ino wasn't expecting Jin to make her come back to bartending. It's on the list of 'Things I'm Never Doing Again'. Nevertheless, it was work, and Ino needed the job to make some extra money for her apartment.

"A day job?"

"I need money for my own place, right?"

* * *

Shikamaru searched for hours, trying to find the Blue Pub, but the damn place wasn't anywhere to be found. The place couldn't be freaking invisible, could it? Shikamaru considered it to be a possibility, but it was only possible if a ninja, who knew how to do an invisibility jutsu on a building, were running the place, and from his knowledge, no normal human being had enough chakra to make a building invisible. Also, a civilian runs the Blue Pub.

"Excuse me, ma'am, could you tell me where the Blue Pub is?"

The woman had her back turned to him. She wore a purple sundress despite the frigid weather. The woman jumped when he placed his hand on her shoulder, and she clutched her pink scarf that wrapped around her face. She turned around with a pleasant smile on her face. Shikamaru's breath staggered when he noticed the woman's face strangely reminded him of Temari.

"It's in between the two buildings over there, honey." When she let go of her scarf to point him into the right direction, her scarf fell down to her shoulders revealing the sandy blonde hair Temari has. The stranger's hair was curlier than his lover's but still painfully alike. "Pretty Ladies is definitely better, though," she said, biting her lip when Shikamaru glanced at her. "All you'll find at the Blue are smelly men and mean ninja…unless you're in to that stuff."

"Please, excuse me," Shikamaru huffed. "I'm busy right now. Thank you."

"Come visit me sometime! Pretty Ladies - remember!"

Shikamaru hustled his way to the alley, poking his head around the corner before stepping into the eerie darkness of the alleyway. It was rather big to be an alley really, Shikamaru thought as he looked around. Neon, cerulean lights blinked in the corner of his eyes, catching his attention.

"Lue Ub?" Someone needed to fix their lights….

Shikamaru pushed the doors open and stepped into the building, expecting the place to be deserted and silent. In fact, a group of young adults gathered around a table in the middle of the room. A blonde girl punched the air and cheered someone on.

"Can I help you, young man?" An older man shut the door to what Shikamaru presumed as the office. He was short, shorter than Shikamaru anyway, and had a graying bread. "We're currently closed right now, but you can come back later if you want a beer." The man pushed his thin glasses up with his index finger than raked his hand through his short, graying, chestnut hair.

"I'm actually looking for someone. Are you Jin Utada?"

"That is me."

"Then you must know who I'm looking for." Shikamaru noticed the blonde girl listening on the conversation. When she noticed Shikamaru looking at her, she slowly turned her attention back to the men arm wrestling.

"Don't worry about Minako," Jin assured, patting the young man on the shoulder. He pulled a stool under himself and sat down with a sigh of relief. "My old legs are starting to give on me," he joked and pulled a stool closer to Shikamaru. "Sit now. What's this about looking for someone?"

Shikamaru reached into his back pocket and pulled out the picture of Ino. "Have you seen Ino?"

Jin relaxed his shoulder and sighed once again. "So, you're a Konoha ninja I reckon," he whispered, shooting a sharp, cautious glance at the group of people. He leaned in closer to Shikamaru and whispered, "I couldn't remember what your emblem belonged to. Anyway, about Ino, she was actually in here about an hour ago?"

Shikamaru jumped from his seat. "Can you tell me where she went?"

Jin pointed his thumb to the right. "She hooked a right when she left. Where she's at is -" Shikamaru rushed out of the building before Jin could finish his sentence.

With all his stinking luck, he missed Ino by an hour, and now, she could be anywhere in the hustling, bustling city of Cloud. For someone his rank, tracing chakra was difficult. He doesn't trace chakra - he controls the opponents shadow and lets his comrades beat the living snot out of the vulnerable enemy. He decodes secret messages and makes battle strategies. Shikamaru does not go stomping around a strange town to look for little, blonde girls who decided to go missing then miraculously reappear. He does not do well with wild goose chases. Lucky for him, he doesn't have to go prodding around any bushes or rivers to find her dead body. That's a plus.

It was nearly lunchtime, and the lunch time rush hour began to take place as people in business suits walked out of the huge skyscrapers, and Cloud shinobi dropped in unexpectedly, scaring the crap out of the civilians. Their muscles bulged from their tight fitted shirt, making the women stop for a moment and enjoy the beauty that the group of men possessed. Shikamaru spared a glanced at his own biceps. He decided his biceps were modest, not big enough for bystanders to stop and ogle at him, but they weren't small either. Modest, that's a fine word indeed.

He walked past the Cloud shinobi while they flexed and wooed the women with their baby oil coated, tan muscles - which made Shikamaru wonder how they managed to get so tan when the buildings blocked the sun. They either use a tanning both, which is a questionable thing for a man to do Shikamaru thought, or they have recently returned from a place where the sun is constantly shining. The women practically pawed at the three buff men as they continued to show off their glistening muscles.

Once rush hour was in full effect, there was no place from Shikamaru to run and hide. With every step he took, they were at least three people bumping into him. He swore some old lady walked by him and pinched his butt, but Shikamaru couldn't know for sure who pinched his butt because a gazillion and two people surrounded him. If he didn't suffer from claustrophobia, he certainly would from this point on. How could someone live in such a crowded environment like this one? Back in Konoha, there was plenty of room despite the village being twice the size of Cloud. However, Cloud makes up the size in height with its frighteningly large skyscrapers. If it weren't for the skyscrapers, this village would be nothing.

Shikamaru abruptly stopped to analyze the buildings and small shops on the other side of the road, making the person walking behind him run into him, but the person didn't ask if Shikamaru was all right or apologize, he just walked around him and continued his business. This place was full of rude, inconsiderate people. Shikamaru ignored it just this once, but the next person that ran into him without apologizing, he was going to beat them into bloody pudding.

Anyway, Shikamaru didn't recognize the small market, placed on the edge of the mountain, which supplied the best view in the village with the mountain terrain spread through the land and playing along the distant horizon where the sun glowed vividly in the cloudless, baby blue sky. He could stand in the middle of that crowded sidewalk and just stare at the beautiful view, remembering Konoha and realizing how homesick he was.

"You're holding up the traffic, boy! Get moving!" An old lady knocked him behind the knees with her ridiculous cane, and according to the grumpy, wrinkled face of hers, she wasn't going to stop until Shikamaru moved.

"Sorry." He stepped into the closest shop to ask for directions back to the inn.

"You look like you're having troubles, young lad," the cashier said as he wrote down the directions to the inn. "Don't tell me," he said, "you're having women problems."

Shikamaru desperately wanted to roll his eyes at the man, but resisted for the sake of politeness. He simply smiled and waited for the cashier to jot down all the directions. Shikamaru impatiently tapped his foot as the man finished off his directions. How could "small" - quoting the cashier – directions take ten minutes to write? Shikamaru peered at the directions written on a napkin - at least the man had the decency to write clearly and neatly unlike most people who write illegible squiggles and scribbles.

"Oof!" Shikamaru fell back as someone rammed into him from the side, making him fall back against the store doors, causing it to open then slam shut, bonking the back of his head. Shikamaru shook his head, curing the annoying ring in his ears and glared at the person, who happened to be a girl with a pink scarf dangling from her neck and long blonde hair that spilled from the hood of her lavender coat.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized softly, gathering her spilled items and shoving them into her a plastic shopping bag. "I wasn't looking." The stranger kept her head down as she spoke. Even when she stood up, she daren't look Shikamaru in the eye nor did she show her face.

* * *

**Wooo! This is the longest one so far, but I have about a few more typed up that are pretty damn long! I thought before the weekend ended, I could squeeze another chapter in. This is probably the only time I'll actually get three chapters up! Hahahaha. I'll probably update like every weekend, every other weekend. Wellllll, just expect an update on a weekend! **

**Ummm, oh, this ** means there's a little time skip in the same point of view... if that makes sense. **

**And review, por favor! Let me know what you think! **

**Chao! **

**Buenas noches (or buenos noches….I forget!)**

**Hasta luego. **

**Hasta la vista. **

**And so on, and so forth. **

**K BYE! :)**


	4. Crawl: Secrets

**4. Secrets **

Ino hurried back to the pub, clutching her satchel and groceries to her chest as she dodged bodies of people walking in the opposite direction. They gave her a queer gaze when she squeezed in-between people, jumped over trashcans, and climbed over people who held up the traffic.

Ultimately, she ran away from her biggest problem.

She kept her head down with eyes on the feet that ran out from beneath her. With her eyes on her feet, she practically slammed a person to the ground. That poor stranger, she thought.

That poor stranger wasn't a poor stranger when Ino lifted her eyes to see a familiar spiky haired teammate, who didn't have any business in Cloud whatsoever. Before he lifted his head to see her face, Ino pulled her hood up, stuffed her long hair in her hood, and pulled the pink scarf over her nose while masking her chakra even though she really didn't have to since Shikamaru had a horrible talent of sensing it.

She mumbled quickly, "I'm sorry. I wasn't looking." She gathered her discarded belongings and shoved them into her bag. She quickly grabbed a discarded folder with her information and mission records when she noticed Shikamaru slowly reached for it, then before he could utter a word, she stood up and hurried back to her new home.

This couldn't be happening.

Why was Shikamaru in Cloud of all places? He could be on a mission that just happened to be in Cloud, she guessed. It must be a coincidence, Ino figured as she hustled down the street, dodging people who didn't have the politeness to get the hell out of the way. Shikamaru must've been meeting the client, and his team is probably chilling at the hotel right now. He doesn't even know Ino is here. He wasn't listening when she told him about how excited she was about her first solo mission.

Ino tripped over her feet, but quickly gained her footing before eating asphalt.

Shikamaru hates this village because he gets horrible migraines and a nasty bloody nose whenever he's in town, so why would he take a mission that sent him to his own personal Hell?

Maybe, Ino wondered, secretly, Shikamaru was a masochist and enjoyed the pain of the headaches and the dozens of other pains. Or, maybe he had no choice in the matter like most missions.

Ino crept up to the door of the pub, pressing her ear against the door. She heard muffled laughing and a sudden scream. She peeked into the window. Minako ran around the bar, flaying her arms in the air as she let out another ear-aching scream. Ino pressed her ear against the door, listening to Minako tell a story about how a cousin tried shoving broccoli up his nose, and she had to take him to the hospital because he lodged the thing so far up his nose, he couldn't pull them out with tweezers.

The back door creaked open loudly, making Ino wince at the high-pitched creaking. Deciding the creaking made too much noise, Ino sucked in her stomach and managed to slip through the small opening she made.

She quietly thanked for the wall blocking the sight of the stairs-Jin made it so none of the patrons could see the stairs if they somehow wondered past his office, which he established no one should do that unless they wanted their asses handed to them. To hide the entrance of the stairs, Jin hung a white curtain, but Ino always thought the curtain was a stupid idea, but he said, "As long as my employees feel safe, I'll do whatever it takes." Thinking about what he said, Ino snorted. _Whatever makes his employees feel safe, my butt._

Tiptoeing down the narrow hallway, Ino searched deep into her coat pockets for her key, grabbing lost bracelets she didn't know she owned and a few dozen candy wrapper from the days she used to be a ravaging candy maniac. The small key lay at the bottom of her pocket, buried underneath layers of candy wrappers and other lost wonders from the olden days.

The key easily slid into the keyhole and fluidly twisted to the left, popping the door open with a gentle squeak. Ino immediately felt the warmth on her frigid skin, sending a pleasurable shiver running down her spine. If she didn't know better, she believed she was in Heaven.

In the midst of enjoying the gratifying heat, she never noticed vibrant, azure eyes staring at her from under the covers on the bed across from Ino. Ino didn't notice the curly auburn hair splayed across the white pillow, nor did she hear the soft, "What do you want?"

She scrutinized Ino as Ino threw her bags onto the clean, tidy bed then flopped back on the bed, exhaling a long sigh. The blonde stared at the ceiling with upset, torn eyes, similar to hers except Ino's eyes held confusion within the mix of sadness and despair. She watched the girl's lips purse tightly and her thin eyebrows furrow in apparent aggravation. Physically, she appeared tired and distraught; Sachiko could only imagine what Ino was feeling on the inside.

"Sorry, I didn't notice you there. I hope I didn't wake you up," Ino apologized sincerely when she spotted the half-closed, sleepy eyes of Sachiko. "I'm Ino. You must be Sachiko." Ino flashed a quick smile, hoping it was good enough.

"I know who you are. Minako and Jin told me about you. Don't worry; I've heard nothing but good things, really." Sachiko sat up with a low groan and smiled the exact same Ino gave her, a slight pull of the lips into a half-assed smile while the eyes attempted to display a sort of happiness neither girl obviously had.

"Same here." When Ino first set eyes on Sachiko, she admittedly hated her mostly because Sachiko was naturally beautiful with natural curly hair that curled perfectly into round ringlets that encompassed her nearly flawless, pale skin. A faint scar plagued her skin, running from her right cheekbone down to the pull of the right corner of her bottom lip. Minako always rambled about how she obtained the scar, but her theories sounded too extreme.

Sachiko had a record of being a harsh girl, intimidating everyone. Jin said she brought in more customers because - no offense, he says- she is the best-looking girl in the whole place, and most men dig the mysterious type.

"Are you working the same time as before?" she asked.

"Yes."

"It's a shame. Takao and I could use the extra set of hands, but I supposed Minako needs you more than we do."

Ino agreed, "That's a definite fact."

Sachiko hummed in response. When the room grew silent with awkward tensions, Sachiko turned towards the wall, pulling the covers over her head and plopped her head on the fluffy pillow.

* * *

Shikamaru watched the hawk flit in the diming sky, disappearing into the clouds. When he couldn't see the bird anymore, Shikamaru closed his window and pulled the blinds down while sighing deeply.

The message would reach Konoha within a week's time, excluding the factor of the poor bird being eaten by anything floating around in the sky. Hopefully none of the bordering nations noticed the Konoha messenger bird and decided to kill it. What if the hawk decided to perch somewhere and a snake decided to eat it? What would Shikamaru do if that happened? Well, for one, he wouldn't know the damn bird was eaten! The endless possibilities crammed Shikamaru's brain, giving him a massive headache. It wasn't time for Shikamaru to worry. He had to be the epitome of sanguinity and absolute positivity.

Ino was alive. For the first time in ages, since Tsunade decided to wake him from his jolly Sunday morning sleeping and ordered him to come out to this horrible place, he finally sighed a breath of relief. No longer did he have to rush himself to find his teammate, she was in the same vicinity as him, and it was only a matter of time until they crossed paths.

* * *

"Someone was looking for you earlier today," Jin said when Ino came down to clock in five minutes before her shift started. She stiffened for a second, knowing exactly who that someone was… unless there were people with me. "I didn't get his name, but you might know him. He's from the same village as you, and he was a ninja." Ino cringed at the term. She preferred shinobi or kunoichi to ninja.

"What did he look like?"

"Well, he's about this high -" Jin lifted his hand over his head. She measured the estimate height to her height, thinking about where her head barely reaches over his shoulder. It seemed about right. "Eh, oh, he wore his hair back in a ponytail and wore his, eh, headband thing on his bicep."

Ino nodded. Definitely Shikamaru."Yeah, I know him," she paused, "Can you do me another favor?"

"You and your favors. What is it?"

"Don't tell him where I am if he comes back."

"Ino, why are you still here?" Jin asked, sidestepping her request. "I sent in a missing report to the Hokage a few weeks back. She discharged you from the mission. You're allowed to leave Cloud. No, you're expected to leave Cloud fairly soon."

"I'm not leaving Cloud for a while. I don't want to go home. If you want to report that to Tsunade, then you may." Ino turned on her heel before the conversation could escalate, but Jin grabbed her wrist before she took two steps. Panic-stricken, she ripped her wrist from his grasps and backed up into the wall, creating a greater distance between her and Jin.

Jin raised his hands in his defensive. "Okay, Ino, I won't tell anyone where you are, okay?" he uttered softly. Ino still cowered from him when Jin took a step towards her. He stopped walking towards her when she clenched her eyes, turning her head away from his soft eyes.

He stood his ground, keeping a fair distance between himself and the cowering girl. When several seconds ticked by, Ino's scared eyes opened, looking up at him with a confused face. She straightened up.

"Excuse me," she mumbled and left the room.

It was hump night, a Wednesday night. Waves of men and the occasional woman didn't flood the pub on hump nights. Who would want a beer in the middle of the week? Ino corrected herself. Who would want a beer, period. Asuma gave her her first beer during a mission. Shikamaru and Choiji downed the bottle as if it was water. Ino took a sip and booked it to the bathroom, puking her guts out.

"You're such a puss, Ino," Shikamaru said as he sipped his second one. "You can't even hold a sip of beer down."

Between gagging from the taste and barfing hunks, Ino turned to glare at his teammate and said, "Shut up and hold my hair," and he would.

"I'm amazed you came back," Minako said, interrupting Ino from her reverie, as she returned from delivering a beer to Jin, who seemed to enjoy gambling at the pool table with a couple of the customers.

There were a handful of patrons in the pub, enjoying a quiet beer as they watched the news on the tiny television placed on the counter or chatting with Jin, who only showed his face on Wednesday nights because they were his favorite. Some of the customers played darts or pool in the farthest corner of the pub.

"So, was that the guy who took… the others?" Minako choked on her words. Ino turned her head away.

Minako's friend - Ino couldn't recall her name - and two other girls were the victims of rape and murder. The first girl, a thirty-year-old ex-stripper, disappeared three months after employment. She disappeared after her shift, probably when she was walking home. Almost a month later, a group of shinobi found her decomposed body deep in the mountains. That happened almost two years ago.

Then, about eight months after the first incident, an employee's sister disappeared when she went out back to toss the garbage during a shift. A few days later, a merchant found her bloodied body in the forest surrounding the mountains. The brother left without warning after her death.

Finally, the most recent death belonged to Minako's best friend, who disappeared almost three months before Ino's arrival. Emiko-ha, Ino's remembered-differed from everyone else. At a young eighteen years, Emiko studied to become a teacher to the civilian children. She had a loving family living in Cloud and a boyfriend about two years her senior. After becoming a teacher, they planned for marriage. According to her family, she crawled home, beaten down with large gashes on her body and ugly bruises already forming. In the morning, when they went to check on her, she wasn't there. Emiko has yet to be found.

Ino rolled her head, side to side, trying to pop a kink in her neck and ignoring Minako's question, but knowing Minako, she'll repeat it until she gets a straight answer.

"He mentioned something about it."

On the verge of happiness with her delusions and hardcore repressing, Minako's questioned sucks her back into reality, and it's not a dream anymore. Yes, Ino was in denial about it, but she was happier in it than out.

"How did you survive? You'd have to be a ninja to do something like that."

Ino merely shrugged at the question.

"Do you think he'll come back?"

Nonchalantly, Ino shrugged again. "Who knows?" Why would that sick man return to this place when he let someone survive? Surely, he knew Ino would tattle tale, and have the Cloud ANBU on his ass the next time he showed his disgusting face around the pub.

"Well, I'm glad you came out of it alive, Ino."

* * *

_Ino is still alive. Last, she spoke with Jin about four hours ago. I have yet to find her. I need time. _

- Shikamaru

* * *

**Well, as promised, I updated. ****Over the past week, I'm pretty surprised how many people have read my wittle story. I'm even more surprised how many people have favorite and put my story on their alert list. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! So, thank you to everyone who has favorite, alerted, and reviewed! **

**This chapter wasn't as long as the previous. Well, actually, before I proofread and edited it, this chapter was about ten pages long, but I took out a HUGE scene and decided to place it somewhere in a later chapter. So because of that, it is what it is. And, that is also why that's why it's so dull... This chapter is kinda like a filler really. Hm, I don't know, but it'll pick up sooner or later. **

**Hmm, hmm, is there anything else? **

…

…

…

…

**Nope, can't think of anything at the moment! **

**Now, go on and review-tell me what you think, or leave some **_**constructive **_**criticism! That would be greatly appreciated. **

**Thanks, and have a good day. **


	5. Crawl: Faceless

**5. Faceless**

* * *

"Thank goodness our shift is over!" Minako sang as she sprang up the stairs in a sudden burst of energy. Ino wondered how the hell someone can be so energetic after six hours of work, and the fact that it is midnight. "I call the shower first!" she yelled from the top of the stairs while Ino sluggishly ascended the stairs, dragging her tried, sore feet across the steps. She leaned against the wall as she dragged her exhausted body up the flight of stairs. Once she set foot on the landing, she collapsed to the floor, leaning against the wall, unable to fight the heavy fatigue weighing down her body. Ino closed her eyes. She could sleep here...

The fatigue hit her like a wrecking ball for the past few days. Even before she disappeared, after her shift, she felt wide-awake and would always fall asleep about two to three hours after her shift. Now, she passed out immediately after her day job until her shift at the Pub started, and when that ended, she took a shower and often passed out with just her towel wrapped around her.

Maybe her day job was the culprit behind the drowsiness. Being a waitress, Ino constantly ran around the restaurant, taking orders and carrying heavy plates of food to customers. Yeah, maybe that is it.

What the hell was she talking about? She was a kunoichi of Konoha, one of the greatest villages in the world with some of the greatest and strongest shinobi residing there. Bartending and serving cannot compare to what she did as a shinobi. She has traveled all over the place, walking for several days straight. She fought many battles, putting her life on the line every second. Bartending and serving should be a cakewalk.

Ino, somehow gathering sudden energy, pulled her drowsy body off the ground and marched up the second flight of stairs and flung her bedroom door open. She ignored the confused look Sachiko gave her; she just stomped over to her bed and buckled to the floor before she could take off her work clothes, or even get into bed.

* * *

Shikamaru slumped in his chair, slapping down Ino's mission file and a map of Cloud. He wasted almost two weeks trying to find Ino, spending sleepless nights wandering the streets hoping Ino miraculously appeared from thin air. He's been to the Pub two other times after his first time visiting Jin to ask him about Ino. Those two times, Jin gave him the same answer, and that was, "Sorry, Boy, she hasn't come back." What lead did he have now? What can Shikamaru do now besides wander the streets and hope Ino materializes? Even with all the luck in the world, that wouldn't happen.

Was he supposed to give up and go back home? Tsunade wouldn't let him live it down, and there'd be a slim chance of having a family in the future if Tsunade got a hold of him when she's notified he couldn't find Ino. Shikamaru shuttered.

He reached for the note the Hokage sent back to him, reading it for the fifteenth time.

_You have three months. _

Three months? That's a short amount of time considering how big Cloud is, and he's looking for one person. Why couldn't the rest of his team accompany him on this mission? It's straight up troublesome when it's just him searching. With two more sets of eyes looking, the chances of finding Ino increased.

Shikamaru kicked off his sandals and stripped down to his undershirt and boxers then crawled into bed, wrapping the soft blankets around his body.

Letting out a relaxed sigh, he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander. At first, he thought of Ino, wondering what she was doing and where she was.

Temari pushed his worried thoughts about Ino out of his mind. Images of her smile flooded his mind, bringing an ease to his mental and physical being. His tense shoulders relaxed, making him more comfortable under the covers. He longed for her warm body pressed against his own, and her light kisses playing along his neck and shoulders. Thinking about her fingertips sliding across his skin sent shivers and raised goosebumps.

With a frustrated groan, Shikamaru opened his eyes and glared out the window, at the bright lights flickering across the streets, and at the huge buildings blocking his view of the moon and stars.

* * *

"Hello, my name is Ino, and I will be your server today. Is there anything I can get you?" Ino pulled her fake smile and slightly raised her eyebrows, making her looking somewhat happy and interested in her customers.

"Can you come back in a few minutes?" the father said, analyzing the menu while scratching his growing stubble. "I haven't really decided."

"OKAYU!" his child screamed, slamming the end of a fork into the table. The man reached over to take the utensil out of his son's hand.

"Give me a minute," the father soothed as Ino turned around to ask another group if they needed anything, anything at all.

Back in Konoha, she couldn't think of any restaurant like this one – a family restaurant the owner calls it. The restaurant her team always dragged her to had raw ingredients set on the table with a large grill in the middle of the table, which allowed everyone to make their own dish. Choji grilled just about anything and soaked it in soy sauce. Shikamaru's dish always depended on his mood, so it differed most of the time. She always picked at the fresh lettuce, plopping a leaf in her mouth as she watched Choji be a glutton. Then, there was Asuma, who didn't eat anything. Instead, while watching Choji eat, he occasionally banged his forehead against the wall, regretting his decision about bringing Choji to such an expensive restaurant.

"Ino, can you man the register real quick?" one of her coworkers shouted at her.

"Sure," Ino mumbled.

As she rounded the corner to handle the cash register, she spotted a man enter the restaurant. He wore a black, long sleeved shirt with the Konoha insignia on the right shoulder. She recognized the spiky hair pulled back into a ponytail. Before he turned around, Ino stepped behind the corner.

"Sorry, I'm on break!" Ino called to her coworker, who sat in a booth to repaint chipped nail polish. Her coworker glared at Ino as she placed the brush back into the bottle and stomped to the cash register.

"Can you at least seat this young gentleman before going on break?"

"Nope," Ino answered and rushed to the employees' lounge.

Ino locked the door behind her and ducked under the window placed in the door. She watched the irritated woman saunter over to him, offering him a menu, which he takes, and then she showed him to his booth. Ino couldn't see him from her angle anymore.

Of all places to eat at, why did he choose this one?

Ino paced around the room until fifteen minutes clicked by. She gathered her bearings, taking in a deep breath and grabbed a newspaper before unlocking the door.

"Woah, Chi, have you heard about these…puppies for sale!" Ino walked out of the lounge with her face shoved in the newspaper. "And…." Ino's eyes danced along the thousands of words until they landed on something remotely interesting. "…Did you know they lowered the age for hysterectomies…?"

She heard a few of the customers gag on their food.

"What are you doing, Ino?" Chi hissed, snatching the newspaper out of Ino's hand. Ino spun around quickly when she noticed she faced Shikamaru. The sharp turn sent a stabbing pang across the skin of her stomach, ripping open her almost healed wound across her stomach. Ino wrapped an arm around her stomach, wincing. Chi stepped into her view. "Were you smoking something funny in there?"

"No." Ino stepped around Chi, taking out her notepad from her apron and walking over to the father and child. She didn't need to hide her face from anyone on this side of the wall. "Have you decided what you wanted?"

"OKAYU!"

"We'll both take okayu."

"Is that all?"

"We're in some hurry, so there's not much time to eat anything else," the man explained with a sheepish grin.

"It's coming right up. Let me take your menu." Ino grabbed the menu from the man and took it back to the counter. As Ino rounded the corner, she held the menu up to her face as if she were reading the items on the menu.

"Can you take that young man over there? I really need to do this." Chi pointed over to Shikamaru, who sat in his booth, reading the menu intently. Chi shook her bottle of white nail polish in Ino's face.

"I think I hear one of the cooks calling me," Ino lied, stepping around Chi once again and rushing to the kitchen as Chi said, "I don't hear anyone."

"Quick," Ino said as she swung the double kitchen doors open. "Someone give me peanut butter, ketchup, and honey. And if we have peanuts, give me those, too."

* * *

Ino poked at her stomach wound, wincing every time immense pain erupted. Blood spotted the scaring gash every time she poked it with her finger or when she twisted her hips from side-to-side.

"So, you pretended to blow chunks to get out of work?" Minako asked from the other side of the bathroom door. Ino shook her head at Minako's question, almost chuckling.

"That's the gist of it, I guess," Ino answered while dabbing damp toilet paper along her stomach, shivering at the coldness compressed against her hot skin. She tossed the toilet paper away after the blood stopped oozing out of random places, then let her loose fitted shirt cover her torn stomach.

"Why?" Minako stared at Ino with big, curious eyes when Ino opened the door, making her take a few steps back.

"Chi was being annoying."

"I could've told you that." Minako rolled her eyes. "That's why I don't work there anymore, because she's _so _annoying."

"You said she stole your boyfriend."

"That, too."

"Well, I'm going to take a nap before my shift."

Minako followed Ino to her room and sat at the foot of her bed, still bombarding Ino with question as Ino laid in bed. Minako reminded Ino of a child, someone who always needed to be with a responsible adult and a large amount of attention.

"You seem more tired than usual, Ino."

Ino groaned.

"Can you tell me where you're from?"

"Konoha," Ino answered quietly as tired blanketed her. Her eyes slowly began to close as she felt Minako shift at her feet.

"Do you miss it?"

Ino hummed, "Mmhmm."

"Why don't you go back?"

Why didn't she go back? Ino opened her eyes and stared at the blank wall in front of her. Her wounds have healed, except for her stubborn stomach, and she had the strength to finally head home. After three months, she could see her family and friends again. However, she wasn't the same Ino that left Konoha. The present Ino was bitter, unhappy, and impure. How would her parents and friends react if she told them she was -?

"This is home now."

* * *

Shikamaru rapped his knuckles against the Jin's office door. Jin cracked it open and popped his head out. "Yes?"

"She must be here," Shikamaru said. "Where else could she go?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but she hasn't come back, okay?"

Jin glowered at the younger man when Shikamaru wedged a foot in the doorway to stop Jin from closing the door on Shikamaru's face. Heaving a heavy sigh, Jin swung the door open, beckoning Shikamaru to enter his office. As Shikamaru casually walked into the room and sat in a hard, wooden chair, Jin shut the door and took a seat behind his desk, across from Shikamaru.

Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets, slightly slouching in the chair, which squeaked quietly every time he moved. "I gave you the benefit of the doubt the first few times, but you are lying. You're eyes shift a lot."

Inoichi, Ino's father, taught him the signs to look for when people lied. The most common sign is the shift of eyes.

"I'll be sure to work on that."

"So, you must know where Ino is?"

"Would you like some coffee?"

"That's a horrible subject change. Work on that also."

"I can grab a muffin if you like. Minako baked them this morning."

Shikamaru lurched forward, slamming his hands into the oak desk. "Tell me where Ino is!"

Unfazed by Shikamaru's outburst, Jin sipped his coffee. Shikamaru released a heavy, irritated sigh and dropped his hands to his lap. Jin spared a knowingly look for a long second before leaning across his desk to say, "Understand where I'm coming from, boy, so listen here. Ino has me on a tight leash. She doesn't want anyone knowing her whereabouts, especially you." Jin pointed a finger at Shikamaru, looking at him with a can't-help-you-out-here-bud kind of look.

"If it makes any difference, I'd like to mention—"

Jin held up a hand to stop Shikamaru from continuing. "Hold up. Come back tomorrow night for…some beer."

"Sounds good to me."

Jin scorned at Shikamaru's gratitude. "You're lucky I'm telling you, Boy. From what I hear from the other girls, Ino is ill."

Shikamaru's eyebrows lifted to his hairline. Since when is Ino ever sick? He couldn't recall Ino ever being sick, except that one time when they were about thirteen when she decided to go skinny dipping in a lake while it snowed. Her reason: "Not showering for four days straight is disgusting."

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow night."

Shikamaru shook his head in response after a long silence. "Right."

* * *

Ino missed her flower shop and wanted nothing more than to lock herself in the flower shop filled with extravagant flowers with the most divine smells one could only dream of. She missed spending her mornings making bouquets fill with luminous colors and scents and wondered what love-struck man would come in to purchase one of her lovely bouquets for his significant other.

Ino never expected to be working in a bar with men that obviously didn't smell as great as her flowers. The disgusting body odor shouldn't be compared to the delicious scents of her flowers. Men and their smell shouldn't be in the same sentence as her flowers - it was flower sin!

The harsh sense of homesickness struck Ino while she thought about the flower shop she'll never work in or see again, which forced her to think about the family and friends she'll never see again. Sakura won't be barging into her room, waking her up by pulling up the blinds, throwing off her warm blankets, and jumping on her while shouting at Ino to wake up. Naruto won't be standing in her doorway, laughing and telling Sakura, "Ino needs her sleep." She won't see her mother and father anymore, nor will she see her teammates—well, besides Shikamaru, who is stalking the sidewalks of Cloud this very moment while she worked the counter.

"Blondie!" Ino jumped when the loud voice boomed in her eardrum, making her drop the two shot glasses she had in her hands. "Now, ya done it, butter fingers!" A round of laughter echoed in the small pub as Ino bent down to pick up the shattered glass. As she picked up the glass, her hands quivered which slowed down the process of cleaning up, resulting in more taunting from the customers.

"Can everyone stop teasing Ino?" she heard Minako's voice from behind her. "Honestly, she's the one who serves your beer! Be a bit more grateful, you turd buckets! If I see you teasing her again, I'll spit in your drink!" Despite her sounding like a complete fool, Minako got her point across, and the men dispersed to the other side of the pub.

"Thanks," Ino muttered, quickly retrieving the broken glass into her hand and briskly retreated to her place behind the counter.

The time ticked painfully slow, leaving Ino antsy for work to end, so she could clock out and pass out. Every time Ino glanced at the clock, only a few minutes passed. If she didn't look at the clock, she concluded time sped up. After an eternity of ignoring her urge to peek at the time, Ino finally let up and glanced at the clock. Only half an hour ticked by. She rolled her shoulders in a circular motion to relieve the tension in her shoulders and neck. She just had to be patient with time and the rude customers, which seemed impossible with what little patience she already had.

"I'm taking out the trash."

Ino wrapped the plastic trash bag around her hand, heaving the heavy bag out of the trashcan with all her strength. Despite the hysterical cries of Jin, she dragged the trash bag across the wood floor, not caring whether the bag ripped open or not. The box said "heavy duty! Doesn't rip!" so if it ripped, it'd be false advertisement. Then, Jin can happily sue.

Grunting and puffing to throw the trash bag into the dumpster seemed to be the hardest thing Ino's ever done in her life. Forget the miles of running Asuma made her do and trying to perfect the mind jutsus, dumping a bag into a dumpster twice the size of her was difficult.

"Let me help you there." Burly arms surrounded Ino as her heart pumping erratically in her chest and her hands quivering in fear, and the man lifted the trash from her hands and dumped it into the dumpster. The smell of cigarette smoke filled her nose, making her wrinkle her nose at the unpleasant odor.

"Thanks," she whispered, ducking under his arm and attempted to scurry back to the safety of the pub, but with her luck, the man grabbed her wrist and slammed her against the wall.

"Please, stop," she hiccupped.

"You'll be lots of fun." His legs pinned her own, prohibiting her from kneeing him in the groin, and his left hand pinned down her wrists, so she couldn't think about punching him in the face to get out of the situation. A finger slowly trailed her side, down the clothing then traveling up her bare side.

"Stop, stop, stop," Ino chanted, squeezing her eyes shut, hoping it was just a dream, and the alarm clock would ring soon.

Ino rolled her head to the right for momentum, and then swung her forehead into the stranger's forehead, knocking him to the ground. He gawked at her in shock as blood dripped down a cut just above his left eyebrow.

Not a gracious thought ran through Ino's mind as she pummeled the man's face, slamming her fists into the side of his face, tears splattering on the gray t-shirt of the stranger. She didn't see the face of the man who just tried to violate her but the man who already did. She imagined her fist slamming into his face, breaking his jaw in half and messing up his sinfully handsome face.

Another pair of arms wrapped under her arms, stopping her from punching the man in the face, and pulled Ino off the poor patron, sliding Ino to the other side of the alleyway and creating a space between her and the bloodied bar patron. Ino struggled against the binds of the person's arms, trying to claw at the stranger's face, eyes blind with her hatred towards the man.

"Cut it out, Ino."

Sachiko's voice rang through Ino's ears, bringing her back to reality. The tears ceased but the blood running down her forehead and into her eyes blurred her vision until she blinked the drops away. The dim lights hid majority of the man's face, but Ino noticed the blood dripping from the man's face into a dark pool on the ground. Blood smeared across his grey shirt.

"Get out of here," Sachiko said as she leaned in front of Ino, blocking her sight from watching the man stand up and running away like a pansy. She didn't care; he deserved it. Sachiko told Ino's face into her warm hands, forcing Ino's attention on her. Her eyes were hard and held disappointment in them. Ino shifted her eyes to the side, avoiding Sachiko scrutinizing stare.

Sachiko wrapped her arms around Ino's head, bringing the sobbing girl into her chest, soothing her with quiet shushes and petting her hair in a slow rhythm. "You're all right, Ino. You're safe now."

* * *

**Welp, it's been about...two weeks since my last update. Sorry for the delay of update, I've been a very busy woman! But, enough of the excuses. I have to say, this chapter wasn't easy to write. I had major brain farts and writer's block when it came to this chapter. It also took a million and two years to edit because I was constantly adding and deleting many things. After all of that, this is what came out. **

**I plan on editting chapter six after I finish writing all my thoughts down hither. **

**Has anyone noticed the title of the chapters are song titles? Probably not, but if you figure out the songs, I'll be very impressed! haha! **

**And I'm pretty sure I'm done writing all my thoughts down hither. I just have to say the usual things, like thank you everyone for reading my craziness, and thanks to those who have reviewed and favorited my story. So, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and if you have any constructive critism, or if you have anything nice to say, make sure you review. :) I'd be greatly appreciated! Or, if you have any questions, feel free to askkkkk! **

**HAVE A GOOD DAY. **


	6. Crawl: Open Wounds

**I'd like everyone to know...I hate this chapter. The end. **

**6. Open Wounds**

**

* * *

**

_The wind cut harshly against Ino's exposed face, whipping cold air onto her rosy cheeks and running nose. Ino covered her frigid face with her sleeve, hoping that would help. It did, kind of._

_The people she passed raised their brows at the sight of her. The people she passed wore hats and scarfs that wrapped around the necks and covered half of their faces. The people she passed wore at least three layers underneath their jackets, and maybe two layers underneath their pants. To all the people she passed, they deemed her as "underdressed" with her usual lavender V-neck shirt and her black pants that were "breathable", which also meant they were thin as hell, and she could feel the wind between her legs. Over her shirt, she wore a thin jacket with a hood she tried to keep up, but the wind constantly knocked it down. _

_No one warned her about the wind or the snow that reached her knees. Well, she guessed that is expected considering it was in the middle of winter. Still, a warning in advanced would've been nice. _

_Ino held the directions to the pub in her hand. Tsunade mentioned the pub being almost impossible to find. Ino stood in the middle of a busy sidewalk, pushed in every direction possible by the hustling villagers, and tried to decipher the confusing instructions. _

"_Damn it!" she shouted, startling the others walking around her. Everyone walked around her from then on, but even without people bumping into her, she still couldn't understand the directions. Ino flipped the paper in different directions. _

Last time I'm ever taking directions from Tsunade_, Ino thought when she looked up to find the sign that pointed to the village park. Through the park, she could find the Pub easily, but with her luck and searching ability, the park remained invisible. _

"_Excuse me, miss. Do you need any help?" A woman smiled at Ino when she looked up from the wrinkled paper. _

"_I'm trying to find the Blue Pub." _

"_Oh, I'm going in that direction. I can show you." _

"_Thanks." _

_Ino walked behind the stranger. The wind ceased suddenly as they walked between the huge skyscrapers, which thankfully blocked the wind. The woman pulled down her hood, revealing curly, sandy blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders, hitting the middle of her back. Ino noticed the short dress the woman wore underneath the fur coat she sported. She wore scarlet high heels to go with the scarlet dress she wore. _

"_Well," the woman said, suddenly stopping, and turning to face Ino. Ino stopped before she could bump into her. She had a pretty face with big, round hazel eyes and semi-full lips that naturally pouted. It almost looked seductive. Can someone naturally pout seductively? "The Blue Pub is three buildings that way." She pointed to her right. "It's really small, so you'll have to look for it…. Can I ask you something before you go?"_

"_Yes?" _

"_Why are you going there?"_

"_I need work." _

"_Then work here." She pointed to the building they were currently standing in front of. The building stood three stories high with a bright pink sign hanging in the second story window. _

"_Pretty Ladies?" Ino thought back to her mission. Why does someone take women from a pub when there's a strip club a block away? _

"_Yeah, it's a lot of fun. They pay good, too." _

"_Uh," Ino paused to watch a group of men in suits enter the building. The woman wiggled her fingers and batted her eyelashes at them. "I'll definitely…think about it." _

"_Come look for me if you wanna give it a go. I'm always here." _

_She watched the blonde girl walk circles around her, analyzing Ino from top to bottom as she rubbed her chin and hummed, sometimes leaning in close to Ino's face then backing away to circle Ino again. The other employees sat in the round tables, watching the blonde girl with amused smirks on their faces. _

_Ino glanced at the clock. _

_A gangly man with shaggy, black hair and matching colored eyes chuckled when the petite woman started to bounce as she circled Ino. Ino fought the urge to raise an eyebrow at the strange person. "Minako, I think you're done." _

_The blonde girl, Minako, turned around, hitting Ino in the face with her curly, blonde locks, making Ino want to pull at the girl's hair and pound her face in, but she—and she was so proud for doing such—resisted. _

"_Konan, you're really no fun." _

"_Jin told us to make her feel comfortable here, not to scrutinize her." _

_Minako huffed, putting her hands on her hips while stomping her foot. "She totally looks comfortable." Minako leaned in close to Ino's face once more. "She's pretty, huh?" she asked Konan. "Jin always picks the pretty girls."_

_Konan chuckled. Then, his attention zeroed in on Ino. Her breath caught in her throat when all eyes followed his gaze, locking their sights on a nervous Ino, who squirmed in her thin jacket and picked at a loose string on her sleeve. _

"_So, what's your name? Jin forgot to mention it," Konan said. _

"_Ino." _

_My name's Minako!" Minako grabbed Ino's hand, shaking it with a hard grasp. Ino decided to grab her hand just as hard, making Minako let go with a yelp. She looked at her hand as it grew a pink color around her knuckles, then she gawked at Ino for a long second before grinning. "I like you." _

_

* * *

_

The image reflected back at Ino astonished her. Scars contaminated her once smooth and even skin. Now, splotches of unhealthy colors dirtied her skin. Ino frowned at the callused feel of her skin as she ran her fingertips over the rough scabs.

With her regular sorrowful look in her eyes, she gazed at her scars, starting from her shoulders. Tiny, faded slivers scattered along her shoulders and spread onto her back. Her fingers caressed the undamaged skin until they met the thin scar beginning at her collarbone. The scar would trail between her breasts and then veer to the left, ending under her left breast.

Then, the stubborn gash that plagued the width of her stomach didn't seem to know how to heal. Every time Ino took a breath, spots of blood oozed between the healing, cracked skin of the angry looking scab.

Much to Ino's dismay, her stomach wound didn't compare to the three bloody, scarlet red rings that wrapped around her mid-thigh. Each scar was about the width of her fingernail. As much as Ino didn't want to remember, she remembered the man taking a knife and peeling at her skin as if he was peeling the skin off an apple. She remembered how he pinned her down when she tried to escape his grasp and laughed at her when she screamed.

The woman Ino stared at wasn't the Ino she knew, and it sure as hell wasn't an Ino she liked. Ino wanted to punch the mirror, shattering her beaten image under her fists. She never wanted to see the disgusting image again.

She didn't want to stare at the face of the woman who didn't fight back.

Why didn't she fight back?

"Ino, are you awake?" The door clicked as Minako turned the doorknob. Panicked, Ino grabbed the nearest thing in order to cover her partially naked body. "Oh, you are awake. You have about an hour before your shift starts."

"Thanks, Minako."

Minako smiled and closed the door. Ino released a sigh of relief, dropping the blanket from her shoulders.

Back home, Ino freely walked around her apartment in her bra and underwear, not embarrassed of her body. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. She couldn't see her stomach past her breasts, which were always perky and on the big side, and her legs were toned. After what happened, she couldn't look at her body.

Ino ripped her eyes away from the mirror. Time to get ready for work.

* * *

"It's a pretty sight, isn't it?" Shikamaru only glanced at the elderly woman, who smiled when their eyes met. "You can only get the best view in this spot." She chuckled softly when Shikamaru smiled at her comment, showing he agreed with her. From the corner of his eye, he watched the woman leave to tend to her small cart.

In the distance, the sun began to disappear behind the gray colored mountains with the blue sky slowly turning pinks and oranges as the clouds began to disperse into thin, white lines. The stars faintly sparkled in the incoming night sky.

Shikamaru leaned against the railing. Far below the railing, on another ledge of the mountain, he noticed ant sized people walk the not-so busy streets of the Section 1, the upper class section of the village. Section 1 required a pass to enter that part of the village.

How long has he been standing here? One hour? Maybe two? For the past several hours, he thought about Ino. When he assumed he couldn't think any more, more hypothetical scenes and questions popped into his head.

What if Ino wasn't at the Pub? Jin never specified whether she would be there or not. Maybe Jin really wanted to talk over some beer. What if Jin changed his mind and didn't allow him to see Ino? He'd punch Jin in the face is what he'd do. No, Shikamaru couldn't hit a civilian. Maybe, a flick to the forehead would suffice.

How would he approach her? He couldn't bring attention to them, so being straight forward wasn't an option. He had to wait until she was alone. What if Ino didn't want to go home? Knowing Ino for so long, he knew failing a mission—in Ino's case: an "incomplete mission" in Tsunade's words—bugged Ino.

Well, he'll find out at midnight.

* * *

The second Ino spotted Sachiko rounding the corner to replace Ino, she quickly waved at Minako, who worked an hour longer than Ino did, and went to clock out. Jin, who sat in the back with a group of old friends, waved at her, telling her, "Goodnight." Ino waved back at him as she hustled to his office to clock out.

As usual, the lights were dim and flickered disconcertingly. When she came back after her disappearance, she always brought Minako to keep her company. Minako became fed up with holding Ino's hand when she went into the office, and eventually convinced Ino no one would spring from the darkness and attack her. Ino still reluctantly walked into the office. She always poked her head in the office before stepping inside.

The light from the hallway darkened, making Ino squint to see what she wrote.

She turned around to see who blocked her light. A man leaned against the doorway, blocking her writing light. Ino opened her mouth to chew the man out, but her voice caught in her throat when he started walking towards her. She pressed her back against the wall, hoping she could bust through the wall and run away from the man.

"Can you take out the trash?"

Little relief washed over her when she noticed the familiar face. "Takao, you scared me."

"That's nice," he deadpanned. "Can you take out the trash?"

"Yeah."

Takao never liked Ino. She knew he hated her from the beginning. His green eyes constantly glared at her. When he passed her in the hallway, he glared. When she came out of the bathroom, he glared. The mornings when he decides to get his lazy ass out of his bed and goes down stairs to eat breakfast, he glares at her while she eats. Ino concluded he just wanted to intimidate her. Back then, it didn't work.

Ino followed the older man out of the office, keeping a minimum of ten paces between them. To her surprise, he actually grabbed the trash bag and tied it closed, making Ino's job slightly easier. With a bored sigh, Takao held the bag out to Ino. As she reached for the bag, he dropped it and left, taking his place behind the counter.

_What a bitch. _

Ino grabbed the trash bag and dragged it outside, ignoring Jin's usual cries and threats about dragging the bag on the floor.

As soon as she opened the back door, a gust of spring air whirled around her sweaty body, sending shivers down Ino's spine. Leaving the door open, Ino hustled off the porch and across the concrete ground to toss the trash into the dumpster. Her teeth clattered as she hustled back to the pub, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

The door closed shut before Ino could jump inside the warm building.

"You're not dead."

She couldn't say she wasn't surprised. "You need to stop hiding behind doors. It's creepy."

* * *

**I could've been studying for a history test, but no, I decided to do some more editing with this chapter, which was a pain in the ass to edit. I hated this chapter. **

**Anyway. Onto useless, trivial things. **

**You've met Konan! So many OC's, I know. I doubt you'll be seeing him again, maybe in flashbacks. **

**There wasn't supposed to be so many OC's, but they just wanted to say HI. At first, it was just Jin and Minako, but then Sachiko showed her face, then Takao, and now Konan. But really, you just keep track of Jin, Minako, and Sachiko. **

**At first, while outlining this chapter, it didn't have the flashback to it (and the only reason why I put it in there was to make it longer), so we wouldn't have met Konan. And here's a little behind the scene look on this story: I wasn't going to put Konan in the story, and you'd have to wonder who that fourth employee is. Now, there's only one more employee to reveal, but I think I'm going to keep her to myself. Really, she's not very nice, nor exciting.**

**Another behind the scene: Minako was originally Michiko, but I changed it because I was also brainstorming another story (which is about Kakashi, Obito, and an original character of mine. If you wanna know more about it, you will eventually or you can just ask me about it) and the main character of that story is Michiko, and I couldn't have two Michiko's. **

**Hm, anymore useless tidbits….?**

**Oh! Here's a big one: Hinata was originally the main character of this story, but I have another story outline that stars Hinata, so I thought Ino should have a chance, which I think was the right choice. **

**And, the location was originally in the Rain… or the Rock—I can't remember, but it started with an R.**

**Sooooo, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Finally, sometimes is happening! **

**Please, review!  
**

**Thank you for everyone who has review, favorited, yadda, yadda, yadda. You know what I'm saying. **

**The next chapter will hopefully be longer than this. In the next chapter, you will learn more about Minako! **

**Anyway, HAVE A GOOD DAY. **


	7. Crawl: Heavily Broken

**7. Heavily Broken**

**

* * *

**

Shikamaru beckoned his head, telling her to follow him. Ino's eyes widened when he began walking away, rounding the corner to make his way towards the front of the building. Ino's steps faltered, taking a step forward then a step back, confused as to what she wanted to do. Shikamaru poked his head around the corner with a scowl on his face, clearly aggravated and impatient. "Are you coming or what?"

"Yes!" Satisfied with the answer, Shikamaru preceded.

Ino, irritated at the world as she began walking in Shikamaru's direction, thought life wanted her to fail miserably at everything she wanted to accomplish. She wanted to complete her first solo mission, but she bombed the mission that particular night, which determined the fate of her mission, when she left with a devilishly handsome man after her shift. She wanted to disappear from Konoha's world forever, materialize in the society of Cloud, serving at family restaurants, and giving smelly men beer, and most of the all, she wanted to start her life over on a clean slate. Apparently, life didn't want her to have that either, considering Shikamaru walked in front of her, clearly on a mission to haul her back to Konoha.

Shikamaru waited for her in the tight space between the pub and the large skyscraper next to it. "Lead the way," he said softly, signaling her to go in front of him. She sucked in her stomach and squeezed past him, ignoring the urge to scream and cry when her arm brushed against his chest. He gently placed a hand on her lower back and pushed her as she struggled to get past him. Ino shot out of the space like a bullet the second he laid his hand on her.

"Where are we going?" What did Ino sound like before she left for her mission? Ino struggled to remember her own voice back then. She added a slight bounce into her gait, wondering if just changing her walk would fool Shikamaru into thinking nothing was wrong. Then again, whom was she fooling…or in other words, _trying _to fool. Shikamaru, just by a quick glance, probably could tell Ino underwent drastic changes both mentally and physically. Really, it didn't take a genius like Shikamaru to know Ino was hurting.

"I thought we could take a walk while we talk."

She attempted to keep her voice bright and bubbly, but it just didn't feel right. However, she did it anyway. "I'd rather stay here."

* * *

Shikamaru had never seen Ino so quiet and reluctant in her life. What happened to her sanguine personality and the life in her eyes? What happened to her constant smile she wore?

Ino heavily leaned against the wall and rested her head against the brick, strawberry red wall as fatigue hit her. He noticed the dark rings hanging under her half-closed eyes. After a minute, her eyes opened again, and Ino lifted her head and stood straight, appearing attentive.

A defeated sigh left her lips. "Well, you found me." She casually shrugged, as if she didn't care Shikamaru won this hide-and-seek game, but he did notice Ino purse her lips in a tight line as her eyes held annoyance while they jerked around the dark alley, avoiding Shikamaru's gaze.

"I did."

For a brief second, Ino's eyes flickered to his, but they immediately dropped to his shoes when they made eye contact. She sighed once again, frustrated with an issue beyond his knowing. She seemed almost disappointed he found her. Didn't she want to go home? Doesn't she want to see her family and friends again?

"Are you here on a mission?" She had no energy to keep up the bouncy, bubbly façade.

"Yeah, I'm here to take you back home."

Ino and Shikamaru stood in the silent darkness for several long minutes. Shikamaru noticed Ino's eyes involuntarily closing, and she quickly forced them to open only to have them close a few seconds later. The life in her bright blue eyes vanished along with her contagious smile and personality. The Ino facing him wasn't the Ino he knew three months ago.

"I'm not going home," she finally replied. "I don't want to go home."

_Not going home_? Shikamaru's knees almost buckled. If he had the option to bring her home dead or alive, he'd choke her out for saying something like that…then bring her home and say she choked on an orange while he was in the shower. He had to admit, the idea tempted him.

On a serious note, Shikamaru had to bring her home, no matter what. That is what Tsunade instructed. If he failed this mission, he couldn't show his face to the village, especially his family and Ino's family, who have been close friends since the Great War and possibly decades previous. If Sakura found out he lost her best friend, she'd never forgive him and perhaps murder him if Tsunade didn't get her hands around his neck first.

"You're crazy." He noticed Ino wince at the comment. "The lack of oxygen is affecting your thinking process."

Ino rolled her tired eyes at his comment. With much effort, she pushed away from the brick wall and turned her back on him. She opened the door, squinting when the bright lights in the pub hit her eyes. Shikamaru didn't recognize the young woman in front of him. Her hair looked ratty and messy in the usual high ponytail she kept her long hair in, but the Ino he knew wouldn't stand for knotted, unkempt hair. Purple rings that almost looked like bruises—he didn't notice just how dark those bags were the first time—dragged down her lifeless, tired eyes. He hated this new Ino instantly.

"I'm not going home, Shikamaru."

"I can't leave until you come with me. Ino, if you don't comply, I'll have to use force."

She faced him with pained eyes before she stepped into the noisy pub and closed the door behind her, leaving Shikamaru in the dark.

* * *

Minako rubbed Ino's back in circular motions as she sobbed with her head shoved under her pillow with several blankets topping it.

Under the layers of blankets and a pillow along with shrill weeps and hiccups, Ino heard Minako's muffled, worried voice, "Ino, you're going to suffocate if you don't come out from under there."

Another alarming sob escaped Ino before she could respond to her co-worker. "I don't care!" she shouted, kicking the bed in childish protest. "Leave me here to suffocate!"

"You're just being silly."

"No, I'm not!" she whined, followed by a painful hiccup.

"Let me help you take those blankets off ya. Then we can talk."

In objection, Ino kicked and twisted to keep the layers over her head, smacking Minako's arms away from the pile of blankets and the lonesome pillow. Minako grunted as she fought back, slapping Ino's arms away and trying to pull off the blanket, which Ino had wrapped safely and tightly over her head with one arm while she fought Minako off with the other. The other blonde girl shouted things at Ino, but Ino couldn't hear passed her own shouts and occasional sad cries. Ino brought kicking into the pitiful fight, trying to push Minako away with her foot, but Minako managed to sit on one of them, and Ino's free leg swung relentlessly, waiting to connect with something. A loud bang ceased all fighting, echoing through Ino's ears and in Minako's. A sharp pain shot up her anklebone and up her right leg, sending numbing tingles through it. The tears stopped as the pain took over Ino's sadness.

"Ino?" Minako shoved the covers off Ino's face. "Are you okay?"

"Ow."

"I would say sorry, but you kinda deserved that."

"I deserved kicking the wall?"

Minako shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "Yep, it's what you get for trying to resist my help."

Ino sat up, shaking the tingles out of her leg. Life even refused to let Ino win a stupid fight over pillows and blankets. Minako had better take this victory with a smile because Ino wouldn't let it happen the next time.

Minako rolled off Ino's left leg and sat at the end of her bed, staring at her in pure curiosity with her puppy dog eyes pleading Ino to tell her what's wrong. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Did that boy do something?" She reached over to wipe a falling tear from Ino's cheek. "If he did, I'll tear off his –"

"That's okay, Minako."

"Ears."

"There's no need to rip off any of his body parts."

"Then why are you crying? No man is worth crying over."

For a second, Ino thought Minako meant the murderer, the one who raped Ino, who raped and killed several girls before her. Ino was the first girl to survive his torture, and yet, she wished to die and wished he killed her afterwards….

Minako interrupted Ino's dark thoughts, bringing Ino's attention to the chubby, heart-shaped face of Minako's, whose hazel eyes sparkled with life and youth, like Ino's eyes did a few months back. If their eye color and skin tone weren't so different, they could be twins. "I want you to be happy, Ino. Since you have gotten here and not just recently but the first day you arrived, you didn't seem happy to be here." She paused as she thought, glaring down at her hands that rested in her lap. Her cheeks began to color. "Do you remember the two buckets filled with chocolate and the giant balloon your 'secret admirer' sent you? Yeah, that was me."

Ino's jaw dropped. All this time, she really thought someone in Cloud admired her, which wasn't much of a confidence boost because the men back in Konoha who liked her were ten times more attractive than the men here. Still, she thought it as a sweet gesture. "It was you?"

Minako flushed a deep red, filling her round cheeks and moving up to her hairline. "Well, you looked happy, so I was satisfied." She waved her hand in defense when Ino shot her a suspicious look. "I don't roll that way, Ino!"

Ino grabbed her hand to stop it from waving and lowered it back to her side. "I'm not thinking about what side you're on, Minako. I'm thinking about why you would do that for me when I was nothing but a hormonal bitch to you."

"I wouldn't say hormonal bitch. You were more of, uh, heinous bitch."

"Wow, Minako, tell me how you really feel…."

Minako shook her hand in her defense again. "Words from Takao, really."

"I have a few words for him, but that can wait. You may continue."

"Well, when I was younger - did you know I was adopted?"

Ino questioned Minako for a second, but considering it was Minako, Ino couldn't predict where this story led to, and the only way to find how everything connected to the predicament of Ino's happiness was to shut up and listen.

"No."

"Well, I was adopted."

"So I've heard."

"Yes, anyway, when I came into my adopted family, the eldest daughter did secret things like leaving small teddy bears on my pillow before I went to bed, and she would play dolls with me. My older 'siblings' would pick on me and when Mom and Dad weren't around, they would tell me I didn't belong, and I should go back to where I came from. Rin would come in and tell them off for me…because I was too busy crying. Before her fourteenth birthday, she died, and I had something big planned for her. Anyway, when you arrived here, you reminded me of the eight-year-old me, and I guess, I want to do what Rin did."

Ino waited a moment to respond, checking to see Minako wouldn't go into another story. "So, you're saying you pity me? I've got something to tell you, missy, and that is I -"

"I talked to you and sent gifts to you not because I pitied you, but because I wanted you to know someone was there," she admitted with a bashful look creeping on her face. Minako rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. "I will admit I pitied you for a little bit because you were the new girl, but that's gone now. So, what I'm saying is that you need to be happier. You're an adult now, right? You can make your own decisions, and those decisions should be ones that lead you to -"

"You listened to our chat, didn't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'll forgive you this one time."

"Thank you."

"If it happens again, I'll rip your ears off."

Minako grinned and bounced off the bed, landing on the balls of her feet. "I understand. It won't happen again. Goodnight, Ino."

"Minako, I have a question."

"Yes?" She spun around, colliding with Ino's bed. She pushed herself upright and listened to Ino intently.

"Have you ever…regretted anything that was out of your control?"

"Hmm, well, I can't recall ever doing anything like that, but I've done lots of things in the past, so maybe. Nothing is ever out of your control, Ino. What you think you didn't do, you could've initiated it." Minako fell silent as she thought about what she said. After a second, she startled Ino with a loud laugh," Ha! Whom am I kidding? Don't listen to my advice! I'm still too young to give any life advice!"

"You've got three years on me." Ino shrugged.

Minako waved her off and spun back around, facing the door. "Stop reminding me how old I'm getting. You youngsters have no respect for the elderly."

"Wait, I have another!"

"This is your last one. This old lady has to get to bed unless you want a grouchy grandma at the breakfast table tomorrow morning." The blonde spun around once again, managing to successfully avoid Ino's bed.

"Where are you from?"

Heartfelt warm filled Minako's hazel eyes as she stared off at the blank wall behind Ino, thinking about her motherland. Ino watched a small smile creep onto Minako's face the longer she thought about her village. Minako shook her head and looked at Ino with an earnest sparkle in her eyes. "Konoha."

* * *

Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pocket, keeping his skin warm from the harsh, frigid wind that decided to pick up when he stomped away from the Pub. He tucked his face into his scarf, keeping his nose and mouth warm. Although, because of the enraged mood Ino put him in, his face was already warm.

"_I'm not going home." _

Shikamaru grunted as he kicked a lone peddle down the sidewalk.

She didn't want to go home. If he took her by force right then and there, he knew she wouldn't put up a fight. She just looked so exhausted. She looked so fragile, as if laying a single finger on her could break her in half. What made her that way?

Shikamaru, being his selfish, lazy self, had to spend—more like waste—his time to bring Ino home. She didn't want to go home. He thought back to what Tsunade said about Ino being insignificant to the village. He had to concur with his superior. Ino may not be significant when it came to fighting like Kakashi or Naruto, and she may not be very intelligent, like himself, but everyone must know, she has her mind control jutsu down to an art. Before she left, Inoichi showed her the ways of scoping information from enemy minds because he knew his time as a shinobi will run out, and then Ino will have to take control. Tsunade may not deem Ino as an important pawn, but in the future, Tsunade will be relying on Ino. Well, maybe. She didn't want to go home.

What was he going to do with her? He could pester her until she gives in. He could control her shadow and take her back to Konoha, but sadly, he didn't have enough chakra to hold her shadow for a week journey. Let alone, he couldn't keep the jutsu up for more than ten minutes. He could simply kidnap her; knock her out and carry her home. Everything sounded so extreme to him. Sure, he knew he was a genius…when it came to strategies, which is different from thinking of a plan to convince Ino into returning home.

For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.

* * *

_I found Ino. She is alive. However, she refuses to return. I will bring her back home within the two months I still have left. _

_- Shikamaru

* * *

_

**Anddd, there's chapter seven for you. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you all review, favorite...or just do something. Virtual high fives are cool... **

**I'm trying to get my chapters long, but I just can't seem to figure out what to write. I'll eventually figure it out. **

**So, yeah. I'm hoping chapter eight will be up by the end of this weekend. If I fail to do so, chapter eight won't be up for two weeks because I'm going out of town next weekend. **

**HAVE A GOOD DAY. :) **


	8. Crawl: Take Me Back

**8. Take Me Back**

* * *

Purple and blue swirls twisted on the ceiling when Ino opened her tired eyes. Have they always been there? With half closed eyes, Ino sat up, rubbing her eyes with the side of her fist, taking the tiredness out of her blue orbs. She let out a long yawn as she glanced around the bare, pallid room. Ino sat on a forest green couch with her bare feet propped on a cherry wood coffee table.

"It's about damn time," the irritated voiced boomed from her front. Leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees, the man glared at her with a bored expression. He smirked at when their eyes met.

Ino's breath hitched in her throat as she flipped the table over and kicked it in his direction. She jumped off the couch and hid behind it, wondering what the hell he was doing here. Ino couldn't feel the rapid beating of her heart. Ino peeked over the couch to see if the man was still there. The table was in its original position, and the man sat in his chair, grinning at her. Ino plunged her head back behind the couch.

Why did he look so familiar?

"_We should go somewhere more private," he suggested as he leaned closer to her, placing a hand against the wall beside her head. "I know somewhere not too far from here." _

"_I don't know," Ino said, stepping away from the close man. "My boss would be pissed if I left in the middle of the night." _

_He snorted and laughed at her. "What is he? Your father?"_

"_Well, no." _

"_Then there's nothing to worry about! Come with me. We'll have a good time." _

"_No, I have to go." _

This wasn't happening, was it?

"Okay, we've gotten off the wrong foot, okay?" In a blink, the man disappeared from his seat and suddenly appeared in front of Ino. She squeaked in surprised and whipped her foot to swipe him off his feet, but he caught Ino's flying foot before she could do such. He picked her up by the ankle, dangling her upside down. "Can you calm your shit for a second?"

She grunted, whipping her free foot, but with sharp reflexes, he caught that one, too. He flung her on the couch. She tumbled off the couch and knocked over the table.

"Now ya done it," he said, suddenly materializing in his chair. With his foot, he set the table up right.

As Ino stood up, she dusted her clothes while sending deadly glares at the man, who simply shrugged her off.

Ino opened her mouth to insult him, but he raised a hand to interrupt her thoughts. "Yes, I already know. I've heard it all - you monster; you sick man; you're going to Hell. Honestly, I don't give a rat's ass. You want to kill me, I know. You shouldn't want to…because you did ask for it."

"I asked for it?" Ino balled her hands into fists and thought about taking a swing at his face, but what were the odds of laying her knuckles into his delicate looking face? "Since when did I ask to be raped and cut into pieces?"

He pointed at her. "You're over exaggerating. I did not cut you into pieces."

Ino plopped into the soft cushions of the couch, glowering at the man's forehead. "You're missing the point."

He grinned. Ino looked away, staring at the deep shade of purple painted on her toenails. She heard him say, "You did ask for it. From across the room, you looked at me with that look that said, 'Hey, let's get it on tonight.'"

Ino kept her head down. "Definitely not," she argued.

"Did, too."

"Maybe you mistook me for the other blonde girl. She's the one that pointed you out."

He shook his head and pointed at her with his usual cocky grin. "No, I vividly remember you looking at me and winking, so I went over there to talk to you. Then your shift ended, we had sex… because you practically begged for it."

Ino's lips pursed in frustration as she tightened her fist. How could this man be so casual while talking about such a serious matter? "I asked you for sex? No, you threw yourself onto me." She paused for a second, then added, "And I definitely did not wink at you!"

"Nope. I remember having a little chat outside the pub. You laughed at my jokes and twirled your hair with your finger, and then you asked me if we could go somewhere more private. So, I took you to my place, and we did our business then I left."

Okay, she had to give him that one. Ino is notorious for being a horrible flirter…. "Okay, I did flirt with you, but I said I had to go to sleep, you said, 'Sorry, I have to do this to you, Blondie,' then you knocked me out, and when I woke up, you were on top of me having your way. You're a pervert."

"Sorry? You're saying you forgot about all the sweet things I said to you that night, but you remember the sex, and you're calling me the pervert."

"Nothing you said to me was sweet. Nothing you did that night was sweet."

"All right, Ino. No need for the tears, kay? I raped you, yes, but you're lucky you're even alive. I know how to kill you in more ways with a strand of your hair than you know how to kill someone with a kunai. I could've killed you. "

"Then, why the hell did you - why?"

"I met my requirements for that month, so I used you for some fun."

"Some fun that was." Ino blew her long bangs out of her eyes and rested her chin in her hand.

"I thought so."

"You took advantage of me."

"I'm aware."

"You don't feel bad."

"I tell myself you wanted it."

"You're sick."

"I've heard that one before. I'll start to listen when you think of a better insult than that."

Pause. "I can't think of anything."

"What a shame," he said. "Guess I'll have - scrambled eggs and pancakes?"

"Excuse me?"

The blank walls began to rumble as pieces of the walls began falling to the floor, revealing more black and purple swirls behind the white walls. A large piece of the ceiling dropped and cracked the table in half.

"Looks like you're waking up." The silver haired man chuckled at the frightened Ino, who jumped around the room, trying to dodge falling ceiling pieces. Ino's eyes flickered from the falling ceiling to the fading man.

She lunged forward, trying to grasp the disappearing man, but her hand only went through his fading face. "Wait," she whispered. Before he completely disappeared, he grinned.

Ino felt herself waking up, coming back to reality, but she didn't want to open her eyes to face the real world. Staying in bed for the whole day sounded like paradise to her…. Ino could've stayed in bed with her eyes shut tight, but her bliss quickly ended when someone started shaking her violently.

Azure eyes hovered over Ino when she decided to open her eyes. Ino's gasped at the proximity of the eyes, and she swung her left arm to punch away the blue. Ino stopped when she realized what she was doing before her fist made contact with Sachiko's delicate face. With dull eyes and a straight face, Sachiko watched Ino's fist relax and drop to her side.

"Sorry."

"Do you want breakfast?"

"I'll be down in a second."

* * *

For Sakura, it was another day at the office. Her team had their days off on the weekends, but definitely not for Sakura, who worked in the office for nine hours on Saturday and five on Sunday. Her missions with Kakashi, Sai, and Naruto felt more like her days off compared to the days in the office, which consisted of constant errands for Tsunade and Shizune with the occasional - well, not occasional really, since Tsunade sent her twice a week - trip across town to fetch Tsunade's wonderful alcohol. And sometimes, Sakura would work at the hospital if Tsunade or Shizune didn't need anything.

"You work too hard, Sakura," Naruto said as they walked back to the Hokage's office after she picked up Tsunade's mail. She hummed at his comment, fingering through her superior's mail, looking for anything interesting. One time, Tsunade received a baby magazine with tips about motherhood, and for a month, rumors spread throughout the village about Tsunade being pregnant until Tsunade had enough and socked someone for bringing it up, which spread around town causing the end of that rumor.

"I like being busy," she hummed. Sakura stopped flipping through the mail when Shikamaru's name popped up on an envelope.

"Why is Shikamaru sending Tsunade mail?" she mumbled to herself as she lifted the envelope to the sunlight, wondering if she could read the small note placed inside. "He could just go to her office if he needed to speak with her."

"You didn't hear Shikamaru went on a mission about a month ago?"

"Hm, no, I wasn't aware."

"Choji said he's in Cloud for a renaissance mission or somethin' like that."

Sakura turned to Naruto. "Ino went to Cloud as well, before Shikamaru." She raised the envelope up to the sunlight again trying to see the contents. "Do you think it's about that?"

"You're really nosey, Sakura."

Sakura pushed Naruto away when he tried to confiscate the envelope and turned her back on him to keep a barrier between him and the letter. "I could open it," she said under her breath, hooking a finger under the folded crease and started to tear it until Naruto snatched it from her hands and shoved it down his pants.

"That's a federal offense."

"Since when did you follow the rules?" Sakura interrogated, placing a hand on her hip. When Naruto didn't response, she held out a hand and gave the blond boy a displeased glare. "Naruto, give it back to me. I don't think Tsunade would appreciate your crotch germs all over her mail."

"I think my 'crotch germs' are preferred over someone openin' her mail without her permission."

"Fine, I won't open it, okay?"

Without a word in response to Sakura's promise, he started walking in the directions of the Hokage's office. Sakura rolled her eyes as she jogged to catch up with her blond teammate. They didn't say a word until they reached the red, double doors of the office. Naruto reached into his pants, pulling out a wrinkled envelope and handed it to Sakura, who pinched the corner of the paper between her index finger and her thumb.

"Dinner is still on, right?" Sakura asked as she placed the small envelope between two magazines, guaranteeing Sakura she will not touch the crotch infested mail. "Seven o'clock?"

Naruto grinned, shaking his head and stepped closer to her. Sakura smiled, looking up at him. "Yup, then my house, right?"

"Yes."

"Cool. Oh, and we should stop by the furniture store to pick up your couch you bought. I'll be here when your shift ends, so we can go." He pecked her cheek quickly and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura wafted the smoke away and watched the young man in black bound from rooftop to rooftop…and he thought he was sneaky. She watched him travel farther and farther away until his blonde hair and the bright orange swirl on the back of his long-sleeved shirt disappeared. She caressed her fingers over the warm heat his lips left on her cheek, creating a bubbly feeling her stomach, also known as a heavy case of butterflies.

"Okay, Sakura," Tsunade called from inside, "you're done flirting with your lover; now, get your ass inside, and give me my mail!"

"Coming!"

* * *

"Ino, are you okay? You don't look so good," Minako noted as she studied Ino's face up close and personal, making Ino feel queasier. Ino shut her eyes and pushed the other girl's face away from her. "Maybe you should go back to sleep. You look like you're going to puke."

Ino groaned and didn't mention how she sprang to the bathroom to vomit the minute contents from her stomach. She'd rather keep that a secret.

Sachiko glanced over her shoulder at the two blonde-haired women from the oven as she viciously diced the cooking eggs with the spatula. Minako threw her a concerned glance at Sachiko then began rubbing Ino's back. "What's wrong with you?" Sachiko asked, focusing on the eggs once again. She heard Ino groan something about her chest and her stomach.

"Ino says she doesn't want to eat anymore," Minako announced, stopping Sachiko from pouring pancake batter into the frying pan. "She's sick from the smell of the eggs."

Ino lifted her head from her arms with a sickened smile. "I'm sorry, Sachiko, but the smell is just…overbearing right now. I'm sorry."

Minako skipped to the refrigerator, rummaging through the contents of it. "Is there anything else you want to eat?" She closed the refrigerator and climbed onto the kitchen counter to look through the cupboards.

"Get your feet off the counter. That's disgusting." Minako continued her rummaging, ignoring the quiet commands from Sachiko, who eventually whacked Minako in the calf with a burning spatula. Minako swatted at Sachiko with a box of cereal.

"Do we have saltine crackers? That's probably the only thing I can stomach right now."

"No, we don't, but I can make a quick trip to the store if you want."

Ino shook her head slowly. "No, it's okay. Can I just have a glass of water, then?"

"Eventually, you'll have to eat," Sachiko piped, flipping a pancake.

"Eventually," Ino agreed, resting her head in her arms once again.

* * *

Shikamaru's head spun as he followed the two Cloud shinobi up the stairs that escalated higher and higher around the mountains. Not only did he suffer from a raging headache, but the wind blew so strong, he and the Cloud shinobi had to brace themselves against the cold rock of the mountain, so the wind wouldn't knock them off the stairs. One of the shinobi looked up at him with a sheepish grin. "We're getting a guard rail soon."

How long has Cloud been a village? Cloud has been a village for centuries, and they have yet to install guardrails. How many people have died from being blown off the very stairs Shikamaru walked on?

The three men came upon a bridge that stretched across a giant valley. Shikamaru peeked over the edge of the mountain. If Shikamaru happened to fall off the bridge, the drop could last forever, and the chances of hitting the narrow stream at the bottom of the gorge was one to a million. To make Shikamaru's nerves edgier, there were no guardrails to catch Shikamaru if the wind decided to push him over.

The same shinobi who spoke before glanced at Shikamaru once more. "We usually don't lose anyone on this pass."

_Usually. _

To calm himself, Shikamaru glanced to his right to look at the city. The skyscrapers blended with the snowy capped mountains, and the windows of the building glinted as the sun hit the windows. The people who walked around the market place looked like black blobs that scurried around. Ino could be among those people….

Fog suddenly rolled into his vision, blocking his sight of the large city. The fog engulfed him and the two other men. He couldn't see his surroundings except for the piece of rock he stood on and half of the bridge. Shikamaru never noticed how Cloud really does hide in the clouds.

"Sweet, now we can't see," one of the shinobi—Shikamaru thought the voice belonged to the man with the glasses, who didn't talk very much and didn't seem very affable—said in disappointment while clicking his tongue.

The other man nudged Shikamaru in the side. "Are you in a hurry to see the Raikage?"

"No."

"Good, 'cause we're gonna have to go slower now that the clouds have set it."

Shikamaru kept his eyes on the heels of the man in front of him as they crossed the bridge, taking cautious steps across the bridge that seemed to take an eternity to cross. They stepped slowly up the twisting staircase until they arrived to an oval shaped building with a large window wrapping around the building. Shikamaru spotted people hustling down the hallways with stacks of paper wrapped tightly in their arms but loose papers fell from the stack. He could see teams of shinobi entering a room with a large, gray door.

"That's the Jounin lounge. The Raikage's office is this way." The two Kumo shinobi continued walking again, making Shikamaru run to catch up with the two when he noticed they were walking away.

The friendlier of the two men looked over his shoulder to smile at Shikamaru. Shikamaru noticed one eye was a deep blue while his left eye was a cloudy gray. He was blind in the left eye. The man winked his cloudy eye, making Shikamaru clear his throat in embarrassment for staring at the discolored eye. The man chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care. "So, what's one of Konoha doing here?" he asked. "Usually, the Raikage doesn't get visitors from other counties unless there is international business to be done."

Shikamaru shrugged. "You can call this international business I supposed."

The half blind man chuckled with a slight smile playing at his chapped lips. "By international business, I hope you don't mean you're here to assassinate the Raikage."

"By no means am I here for assassination."

"Well, good. You don't look like the assassin type, anyway.

Shikamaru's steps falter for a second as he wondered what type of shinobi he did resemble. He had to admit, if he did appear to be the assassin type, he'd feel totally bad ass.

The men arrived at an oval shaped building, similar to the Jounin's lounge, but it was reasonably bigger.

"Well, you're free to go. Just go up those stairs and through that door."

Shikamaru stepped between the two men and made his way towards the building. "Thank you."

Shikamaru trudged up the stairs that led to his building as his calves burned from the excessive stair climbing he has done in a day. He was convinced he climbed more stairs this particular day than he has in the past twenty-one years. At least, his calves will be firm and toned.

He pushed against the gray double doors to find an empty hallway. He followed the violet carpet as he passed more doors that led to empty rooms or to rooms that held small groups of people huddled around examination tables. At the end of the hallway, more stairs greeted him. His breath escaped his throat in rapid rhythms as he forced his body up the narrow staircase. On the second level, another empty hallway with violet carpet greeted him. His tired feet scraped across the carpet as he dragged his heels down the hallway, still following the carpet that eventually led to a gray door at the end of the hallway. This door has to lead to the Raikage's office. If not, those two shinobi were forever on his hit list.

Shikamaru staggered towards the door and gave the door two quick raps.

"Come in, Guest!" The door swung open automatically, revealing a humongous man with a biceps the size of his own head—Shikamaru had to remind himself his biceps were normal and "modest", and those with watermelon-sized biceps were freaks of nature. The Raikage stared at Shikamaru with stern, intense eyes as Shikamaru stepped into his office.

"Lord Raikage, I am Nara Shikamaru from Konohakagure." He bent at the waist to show his respects, but the man raised a large hand to stop Shikamaru from completing his bow.

"Please, there's no need for bowing. Who does that nowadays? What's hip and stylish among you young kids? How about we make a secret handshake?"

"Uh…." No one mentioned the Raikage being a nutcase, which is probably why the blind man was smiling so damn much. That has to be why…. That's it. He's going on Shikamaru's hit list.

The Raikage grinned and waved Shikamaru's clueless expression away. "It's all right. I'll give you time to think of one." Suddenly, the grin on the man's face disappeared, forming a serious, hard line, which made him even more intimidating. Shikamaru held down the urge to gulp. The Raikage's eyes intensified, and it almost looked like his muscles starting to bulge under his dark skin. "What brings you here? It's rare Konoha would show their faces here."

"I have concerns I would like to address with you, Lord Raikage."

"Proceed."

"Have you heard of the Blue Pub?"

"No, I've never heard anything about the Blue Pub."

Shikamaru inwardly groaned. This made his case harder to present with the Raikage being unaware of the Blue Pub. "For the past year and a half, there have been killings and kidnappings in section two. Considering the size of the city, there could be more, but I am only aware the the murders happening around the Blue Pub. It's been my understanding that women have been kidnapped and later found dead in the area surrounding the village. Are you not aware?"

"It hasn't come to my attention."

"Then, someone has been keeping these findings a secret for the past year."

"I have a question for you, Nara."

"Yes?"

"Why are you, a Konoha shinobi, coming to me to address this problem?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "The owner sent a request to Konoha, asking for help. One of the reasons I am here today is partly because Konoha has been dragged into this predicament. If it weren't for the owner asking for Konoha help, this would strictly be a Kumo problem."

"I see."

"My question to you, Lord Raikage, is why the owner of the Blue Pub is asking for help from _Konoha_ when there are perfectly able candidates here?"

Speechless, the larger man glared at Shikamaru, making him regret asking the question. The man seemed strong enough to snap Shikamaru in half with his corneas.

Shikamaru had to smooth the air out quickly. "I will not get into the subject of whether your shinobi are capable or not because I know that it will get me nowhere"—maybe with a snapped neck, but that's pretty much the farthest Shikamaru would go—"and really, I'm not here to insult your men. I am here for the benefit of my comrade and myself."

"Which is?"

"I am requesting you to send men to look after the Pub. My comrade has been undercover at the Blue Pub in search for the murderer, and she refuses to leave because she knows it is unsafe. The man is still out there. Do you want more of your people dead?'

The silence lasted for several long seconds as the Raikage conjured his answer. "That is part of life."

Shikamaru couldn't believe his ears. "A psycho murderer killing innocent women is part of life? You're the Raikage! Do you not care for your people? Isn't that the job of the great leader?" Shikamaru caught himself before he could continue with his sudden outburst. He straightened up and looked at the surprised leader with a calm façade. "Excuse me. That was out of line."

Lord Raikage shook his head. "No, you are right, young man. It is my duty to look after my people and make sure they are safe. I will send one of my men to help with the search of this murderer."

"Thank you, Lord Raikage."

"Nara, when are you returning back to Konoha?"

"Soon, I hope. My comrade is stubborn and won't leave until the mission is complete."

"Is that so? Please bring your comrade some time. I would like to speak with her."

Shikamaru nodded. "Understood."

"This is goodbye?"

"For now."

Shikamaru pushed against the doors and yielded to a lanky man with shaggy black hair and round glasses. The man's shoulder bumped against his own, knocking Shikamaru back a few steps. Shikamaru thought he heard him say, "Sorry," but he wasn't positive.

"Aw, Konan, I've been expecting you."

"I've been running late all day, Lord Raikage. I apologize."

"Will our secret handshake make your day better?"

The man named Konan prolonged the silence, probably waiting for Shikamaru to leave. When Shikamaru closed the doors behind him, he heard a faint, "Yes."

* * *

**That's has to be the longest chapter sooo far and. considering my schedule for the next few weeks…or months, probably will be for a while. Just until summer break starts. Then I'll have time to be totally anti-social and lock myself in my room and just write. Well, maybe go tanning while writing. I really need a tan…. **

**ANYWAY, hopefully, the next chapter will be up next weekend because I am FINALLY free from all my busyness! I'm also busy this weekend, which is why I decided to update early. Happy Early Update Day! **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I did. Writing Shikamaru and Sakura were my favorite part of the chapter. **

**Oh, if you wanna know what I'm listening to when I write, I'll post the playlist on my profile, so…yeah? Go look at it. Listen to some of the songs….**

**Anywho, I'll let you continue with your day! **

**Oh, thank you to those who read. Thanks to those who go beyond that and review, favorite, alert. Spiffy things like that. Keep it going! **

**HAVE A GOOD DAY! **


	9. Crawl: Scars

**9. Scars**

* * *

That morning, like every other morning in Shikamaru's life, he wanted to stay in bed and stay like that for the remainder of the day. Today the urge to stay in bed enticed Shikamaru a lot more than walking the streets of Cloud, trying to find something to do. Really, he just wanted to rest his aching legs from the climb up those damn stairs yesterday. His calves burned as he rubbed his bare feet together, creating warmth between the soles of his feet.

The morning sun barely peeked through his closed blinds, which he closed the night before because the sun shone so brightly every morning, and the brightness made his eyes sting when he first opens his eyes every day. Everything was becoming a routine, which comforted Shikamaru, but considering he was on a mission and he was starting to feel comfortable made him feel on edge.

If Shikamaru stayed in bed, he could contemplate ways to bring Ino back. For instance—he proudly thought of this idea last night before he dozed off— he could scare her into coming back to Konoha. His plan of scaring her into returning could be detrimental to his being, however. Shikamaru planned to tell Ino her father is ill and on his deathbed. Ino would be so worried that she'd have to come back to tell her father her last good-bye. On the downside to this scheme, when she sees her father isn't in his deathbed, Shikamaru calculated there is about an eighty-seven percent chance of him being punched in the stomach or kicked in the….well, it could be painful on Shikamaru's behalf.

Shikamaru shifted in his bed, flipping onto his side with his back to the window. He groaned when his tense muscle began to relax into the new position.

What if he couldn't bring Ino back home? Would Tsunade leave her alone and give her the life in Cloud Ino seemed to desire? Would Tsunade consider Ino AWOL and send hunter-nin after her? Shikamaru winced at the thought of the innocent Ino apprehended by the said hunter-nin, then questioned or tortured for the answers as to why she left. All this done by the hands of the village she loved so much….

* * *

Sakura slid her legs over the side of the bed, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to check if her blond lover remained asleep despite her noisiness she caused, the mattress squeaking as she moved. It was Naruto, so what was the worry? With no worries about waking the heavy sleeper, Sakura decided to jump out of the bed, landing on the wooden floor with a loud thud. She looked over at Naruto, wondering if that woke him up, but he remained sprawled across the bed, quietly snoring.

She giggled, kissed her palm and blew her kiss towards the sleeping Naruto before scrounging around the room for her discarded clothes, gathering them in her arm as she found each clothing article. Naruto didn't even stir when Sakura bonked her head against the wall, trying to pick up her wrinkled shirt.

How did Sakura end up with a catch like Naruto? Rarely did she ask herself this question, but it really was strange how much she detested Naruto almost nine years ago and now, they practically lived with each other.

When Sasuke came home, she regretfully hooked up with the rogue ninja and for a month, she faked love just for this cold-hearted man, who left after two months of his return. She cried, yes, but after her month long fling with Sasuke, she didn't cry because he left; she cried because she gave herself to him, thinking she still loved him after five long years without him, but in reality, she only loved Sasuke as a friend. Sadly, she didn't notice in the beginning.

Naruto held her while she bawled, and every day after that faithful day of Sasuke leaving Konoha a second time, everything seemed to change between Naruto and Sakura. They were connected by an invisible string that strung them together and wrapped up their relationship with a tight bow on the top of the package.

Sakura never thought about Sasuke after Naruto and Sakura started dating, and she never thought 'what if'. With Naruto, she knew she couldn't find anyone better, and she was happy with him and hopefully, vice versa.

After dressing, Sakura left a note on Naruto's dining table, placing it underneath a bowl with dry cereal in it. The note said she went out to do a few errands before the mission this afternoon. Before heading out the door, Sakura glanced at the sleeping blonde the last time then preceded out the door.

Sakura hustled towards Tsunade's office with the intentions solely set on finding out what the letter from Shikamaru said. She had to know! Naruto was right when he said she was being annoyingly nosey, but when she held that envelope up to the sunlight, she read distinct letters of 'I', 'N', and 'O'. Ino, her roommate, who left almost four months ago and never bothered to update Sakura about her mission after a month into it. Because of Ino being gone so long, Sakura spent most of her time at Naruto's because she found the quiet apartment rather depressing.

Tsunade gave her a key to her office a few years ago, but she warned Sakura to use it carefully and not to just meander around the room to stuff her nose into documents Sakura knew she shouldn't. Tsunade never mentioned anything about going through her opened mail or her trash.

Sakura searched around the Hokage's desk, looking for a note that mentioned Ino. However, stacks of papers created huge mountains on her master's desk, crowding pictures of Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura and made it nearly impossible to find the letter Sakura impatiently searched for.

Sakura flipped through the stacks of papers with her thumb, thinking she might have overlooked the note. After several long minutes, Sakura's hope dwindled and finally, she decided to go back to Naruto's apartment and snuggle up next to him. With one last inspection, Sakura spotted a wadded up paper at the bottom of the wastebasket. She grabbed the note and smoothed the wrinkles out, running the paper along the edge of the desk.

_I found Ino. She is alive. However, she refuses to return. I will bring her back home within the two months I still have left. _

_Shikamaru _

"What are you doing here, Sakura?"

The rosette cursed herself for not taking note of the presence earlier, when she faintly sensed the vibrations as the person made their way up the stairs. She could feel her master's presence stand at the doorway now. Tiny hairs on the back of Sakura' neck stood straight up as if Tsunade stood right behind her, breathing down her neck. Quickly and attempting to be inconspicuous, she crumpled the small note and tossed it back into the wastebasket.

"It's a little early for you to be awake," Tsunade noted as she walked towards a stiffened Sakura.

Sakura turned to face her superior with a tired smile. "I had errands to run before I leave for the mission this afternoon."

"Digging through my trash is one of your errands?"

Sakura shrugged, avoiding eye contact with her master. "No."

"So, why were you digging through my trash?"

No matter how much Sakura wanted to, she couldn't lie to Tsunade. For one, Sakura was Tsuande's apprentice, and she could cease Sakura's apprenticeship anytime. For two, Tsunade knew Sakura too well and would instantly call out Sakura's lie. So, she told the truth.

After Sakura told her story about the note Shikamaru sent Tsunade with the mention of Ino, Tsunade remained quiet, raking her long fingers through her wet hair she washed moments before heading to her office. Sakura wiggled her toes in her sandals and slightly rocked as she waited for the Hokage's response.

"You want to know about Ino?"

"Yes," Sakura answer with a bit too much enthusiasm.

Tsunade seemed taken aback by Sakura's sudden assertiveness, but she understood. When a close one goes missing, worrying is all one can ever do.

"Ino has gone missing, Sakura. I sent Shikamaru to find her."

Silence engulfed the room while the information slowly sank into Sakura's brain. It didn't make sense.

"Sakura, talk to me."

What was she supposed to say? _Oh, that's cool. I hope Shikamaru is having a jolly good time. _Sakura already lost one of her best friends; the last thing Sakura wanted was another loss.

Tsunade brushed past Sakura and plopped in her chair that squeaked under her weight. She rubbed her temples and sighed, "Maybe I shouldn't have told you that. I mean, I figured you deserved to know because you're her best friend, but then again, it was supposed to have been a secret…." Tsunade never rambled…unless she was nervous or having second thoughts….

"No, it's fine. Thank you for telling me."

"I don't want this going out into the village, Sakura. Ino is alive, and right now, that's all that matters. Leave the small details to Shikamaru and me."

"Understood."

"Go on with your day. I'll see you in three days. Good luck with the mission."

* * *

Ino's throat tightened as her stomach twisted and grumbled viciously. Reluctant to make any gagging sounds because of the sleeping Sachiko across the room, Ino covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom to routinely slide onto her knees and lean over the toilet bowl.

She heard the wooden floor panels creak as someone made their way down the hall. Ino pushed the door closed with her foot and flushed the toilet, hoping the person wouldn't hear the gagging and tried not to scream when a drop of toilet water sprung from the bowl and landed on her cheek.

When the footsteps disappeared, Ino washed her face, rigorously scrubbing where the drop of toilet water landed then went downstairs to eat breakfast, already smelling the aroma of Sachiko's wonderful cooking.

As she descended the stairs, she could hear Minako's cheerful voice ringing through the building as she spoke about getting a day job. "I am thinking about getting a day job. You know, to make enough money to get my own place, or at least new clothes. Oh, they need help at the floral shop a few streets down—you know that place, Sachi? My ex-boyfriend's girlfriend works—maybe I shouldn't work there…." As Ino rounded the corner to enter the kitchen, Minako sat on a stool with her back pressed against the island counter top and the newspaper in her small hands.

Sachiko, like every morning, stood at the stove with her handy spatula in her hand.

Minako lowered the newspaper to smile at Ino when she took the stool next to her. "Good morning, Ino."

"Morning."

Minako, like every morning, spread the newspaper across the counter top and started pointing at articles and the ads, rambling about jobs she would consider. Ino felt Sachiko's eyes bore into the back of her head, but she ignored it, knowing the concerned looked Sachiko held all too well.

"Ooo, Ino, the spring festival is coming up in two weeks! You wanna go?"

In the center of the page of the newspaper was a large black and gray picture of cherry blossoms with 'Spring Festival" cursively written across the beautiful flowers. The location and times were at the bottom of the page, written in the same font as the title.

Did Ino like festivals? She loved festivals, or she thought she did. These days, Ino didn't know what liked anymore. She didn't know if she liked food nowadays, and the only reason why she ate was the fact that food is a necessity in order to stay alive. Bathing also applied to this, too, but she bathed for the sake of the people living with her. The only thing she knew she didn't like was herself.

Did Konoha already have its spring festival? Ino glanced at the calendar pinned on the wall next to the doorway. No, not for another month.

Ino wondered what her family was doing now, this morning. Was her mother managing the flower shop without her? Was her dad heading to the investigation department to penetrate the mind of an enemy for secrets and hidden plans? Did they miss her? If they knew what happened months ago, they wouldn't miss her. They wouldn't want her back home. Ino fidgeted in the stool at the thought of it.

Why would anyone love her if they knew she was raped? Ino hated herself for not fighting back when she knew she could take him on. She knew she could, so why didn't she…? She was weak, that's why. That's what everyone else would think, too. They would think she was useless and unimportant. Her parents and friends probably aren't worried about her, or thinking about her, wondering how she's doing or when she's coming back. No one would want to talk to her if they knew what happened. Sakura would never talk to her and would look down on her.

Ino bonked her head on the counter, wondering how every topic not associated with her rape always somehow connected to rape. It was a never-ending cycle. She needed a good cry.

"So, Ino, how about it?"

"No, I don't want to go."

Ino suddenly found Minako's nose touching her own, making Ino go cross-eyed as the smaller woman practically screamed, "Why not?"

If Minako did this back in the day when Ino didn't take shit from anyone, Minako would have a black eye and an earful from Ino, but in this day and age, Ino only leaned away from the close woman and hopped out of the stool to distance herself from Minako.

"Festivals just aren't my thing."

"I'm making you go, and that's final!" Ino opened her mouth to protest, but Minako scurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs before Ino could get a word in.

Sachiko laughed from the stove as she flipped over a sizzling pancake. "Don't fight the inevitable, Ino. Minako will get her way, you know that."

Ino shook her head in defiance. Two can play the stubborn game. "Not this time."

"You're only setting yourself up for failure."

"That's nothing new."

Sachiko slid a plate towards Ino. Ino sniffed the wonderful aroma of the warm pancakes sprinkled with chocolate chips; her stomach enjoyed the smell of the food and grumbled loudly, yelling at Ino to shove a forkful of it into her mouth, which is just what she did. Ino stuffed huge amounts into her mouth, chewing four or five times and swallowing the huge chunks, and then she repeated. Nothing tasted so good in her life. The sweetness of the chocolate chips made her taste buds and stomach sing in delight, and the softness of the pancakes made everything better.

When Ino looked up, Sachiko gawked at her with her mouth hanging open. When she noticed Ino staring back at her, Sachiko shook the shock away and mumbled something about going upstairs to change.

Ino understood she ate little since the days she returned, so Sachiko's stares were reasonable. Ino shrugged off the stares from Sachiko and stared at the Spring Festival ad, thoughtfully chewing the last bit of her breakfast.

Back in Konoha, Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, and herself bought matching yukatas every year, starting at the time when they were all promoted to Jounin, which was—Ino counted the years in her head—about four years ago. The night before every Spring Festival, they had a girls' night at Tenten's place because her apartment could fit three of her apartment.

During the girls' night, they complained about their lives and boys while they drank their beers—Ino didn't because, well, the taste made her sick to her stomach, so apple juice usually sufficed. The girls would play games that little girls would play, like truth or date—however, truth or dare became too extreme—or hide-and-go seek.

One year, Naruto and Kiba crashed the party because they were curious about what happened during these girls' night. Sakura kicked the living snot out of the two and after that, no one interrupted their nights. Ino chuckled at the memory of the boys' face when they saw Sakura charging at them.

The day of the festival, Hinata cooked breakfast for the girls and for lunch, they went to their favorite restaurant.

It wouldn't be the same this year since Ino wouldn't be able to spend time with her favorite girls.

"According to Minako, you guys have a shopping date this afternoon," Sachiko announced as she entered the kitchen in a new outfit and wet hair. "I told you you're going to lose this one."

"I have work."

"No, you don't. You work on the weekdays."

"What's today?"

"Saturday."

"Nothing gets passed you, huh?"

* * *

Like every day, the streets of Kumogakure were crowded with hurried villagers and shinobi who stalked the streets, intimidating the civilians. Ino could almost spit at the sight of the group of shinobi who stood at the corner with brooding grins and attitudes. No one back in Konoha did that.

Ino clutched to Minako's hand as they pushed past the people flowing in the opposite direction. Her heart skipped a nervous beat when her shoulder made contact with a stranger's shoulder. There were hundreds of people around her, and one among these people could take Minako or her away if they weren't on their guard. Ino stiffened at the thought and kept her eyes peeled for anyone suspicious, glaring at anyone who even glanced at her or Minako. Minako just kept going, dragging Ino along as if she were a rag doll.

The two arrived at a quaint store buried between giant skyscrapers, like the Blue Pub. According to Minako, who says many things, this store sold the best yukatas in the whole world, and they were sold very cheap, too.

Minako held the door and waited for Ino to enter the store first. At first, Ino hesitated because a group of women threw curious glances in her directions as the bell on the corner of the doorframe rang when Minako opened the door. Whom she presumed as the storeowner, an elderly lady with brown leather like skin, looked up from a rack of brightly colored summer dresses and smiled at the two new customers.

Ino stood in the doorway, taking in the sight of all the dresses hanging on the walls and the racks. Minako impatiently nudged Ino inside, and then rushed to the storeowner. Ino, with her head down, followed Minako, taking cautious, slow steps passed the racks of dresses and the group of women that whispered to one another as she walked past them.

"It's been a while, Hiromi," Minako greeted as she hugged the old lady.

"Minako! It's been so long since I've seen you. How have you been?" Before Minako could answer, a jokingly stern look appeared on her tan face. "You need to visit me more often."

The blonde woman nodded in agreement. "I try, but you're so busy, and Jin has been keeping me on a leash lately. He rarely lets us leave the Pub nowadays. I'm surprised he actually let us out today."

Ino was pleased to hear Jin took extra precautions when it came to the murderer, even though that meant he had to cage everyone in the bar. Well, as long, as everyone was safe.

The storeowner hummed. "He's probably concerned, especially about the girls. You know about the murders, haven't you?"

Minako's face dropped slightly, her eyes losing their excitement in them for a quick second. "Yeah, I've heard about them." Fake eagerness came onto her face as she grabbed Ino's wrist and pulled her forward. "This is Ino. She's a new employee at the Pub."

For the first time, Ino looked up to smile at the elderly woman, who stood a head shorter than Ino, which pleased her since she knew no one shorter than her….As the woman smiled back, her skin around her small, almond shaped eye wrinkled.

"Hello, Ino. My name is Hiromi."

Ino bowed slightly. "It's nice to meet you."

"You're just a pretty girl. Jin always hires the pretty ones."

Ino felt a blush heat up her cheeks. "Oh, thank you."

"So, you girls are obviously here to buy dresses. I'm assuming you're here to buy a yukata."

Minako nodded. "Yes, we are!"

"Does Sachiko want one, too?"

"No, her brother sent her one a few weeks ago. It's really pretty."

"Where is he now?"

"He's on a mission somewhere in the Rain."

"He works so hard, that boy. It's a shame about their parents."

Minako only hummed.

Ino raised a brow at the comment. What happened to their parents? Ino didn't know anything about Sachiko even though, Sachiko has been her roommate for the past month and a half. Minako never mentioned anything about her, and Sachiko seemed guarded, always on edge even when she was comfortable. As night when both were fast asleep, Ino could feel the tension radiating off Sachiko in her sleep.

Hiromi interrupted her thoughts when she grabbed Ino's wrist, making Ino twitched slightly. Ino didn't want to be rude and rip her wrist out of Hiromi's grasp. "Come with me." Hiromi led Minako and Ino to the back wall where several dozen yukatas hung. Hiromi circled Minako several times, scratching her chin and mumbling to herself. She then turned her attention to Ino. Ino stiffened and held her breath as Hiromi lifted her arms up and flapped them, and then she leaned in close to gaze into her eyes, making Ino go cross-eyed. Hiromi chuckled as she stepped away.

"Minako, I have a few selections that would complement your eyes and hair, but I know you'll probably chose another yellow and pink one, like you do every year, so you can do what you please. Ino, dear…." Hiromi eyed Ino once more before facing the wall and taking two blue yukatas and a purple one from beneath a forest green one that looked as if someone puked on the fabric and left it there. "I would like you to try these on."

"Oh, I'm not going to the festival. I'm just here for Minako."

"_What!_" Minako screamed from the dressing room. She pulled back the red curtain and stomped over to Ino…in her underwear. "We've already discussed this! You're going to the festival!"

"But, I—" Before Ino could have her say, Minako spun around and stomped back to the dressing room. No wonder she always wins, she never stayed to hear what the other has to say.

Hiromi handed Ino the yukatas, which Ino contemptuously took in her hands. "Just make her happy and try these on."

"All right."

Ino slipped past the red velvet curtain that led to the a hall of dressing rooms with a wide, full body mirror hanging on the wall at the end of the hallway. In the dressing room she stood next to, she heard the rustling of the clothes being pulled on and off.

"Ino, that's you, right?"

"Yeah."

Ino took the dressing room across Minako's. The first thing she glanced at was her reflection in the mirror. She turned her back on it.

"So, you should really go to the Spring Festival."

Slowly, Ino stripped down to her underwear, ignoring the the reflection she caught of her pale, scarred body. She eyed the different yukatas hanging on different racks. Immediately, she eliminated the dark, cerulean yukata with clouds outlined in sparkling glitter.

The other blue yukata was a lighter blue, like the color of her eyes. As she held up the yukata up to her body, she grimaced and set it back on the rack.

"Ino?" Minako tapped on the door.

"I'm listening…."

"The festival will be fun."

Ino turned to the last dress, a violet—her favorite color—colored dress with pink cherry blossoms painted on the right sleeve. As Ino held the dress up to her body, she shook her head and set the dress back on the rack. Minus well not go if she couldn't find the right dress, Ino concluded.

"Ino?"

Ino turned to glare at Minako through the door, but her eyes met the horror struck eyes of Minako's eyes. Her hazel eyes jumped from the crossed scars trailing down her back to the three ringlets on her thighs. Ino stood there , waiting for Minako to have her fill of the sight of the ugly scars. It was too late to hide the scars, but Ino could hide the story behind them…until Minako decides to ask.

Minako's concerned eyes look up to Ino's dull blue orbs. "Sorry." Then, she left.

There were times in life when Ino wanted to lock herself in her room and hide from the world. She remembered during training, she started her period in the middle of sparring Shikamaru, who pointed out the dark red spot on the back of her skirt when he caught her in his shadow jutsu. She locked herself in her room for two days.

At that moment, knowing Minako would wonder about how the scars came to be, Ino wanted to stay in that dressing room, or at least wait until Minako left and then walk back to the Pub by herself, but knowing Minako, she'd stay until Ino came out.

Taking her sweet time, Ino dressed herself and came out with the three yukatas hanging on her arm. As she brushed past the velvet curtain, a lavender yukata flew through the air and landed on Ino's head, stopping Ino in her tracks.

"I found it and thought it'd look great on you, so I just bought it." Minako pulled the dress of Ino's head. "You don't have to pay me back. Think of it as an early birthday present."

Minako never could hide her true emotions. Ino could tell Minako fought hard to keep the astonishment, the shock, and the concern from her face. Minako's eyes revealed everything from the concern and the confusion. If only she knew what really happened. Ino knew Minako didn't know the story, and Minako could only guess, and for Ino, guessing was as close Minako was ever going to get to her secret.

* * *

Shikamaru watched the last of the room lights flicker off as he wedged his body between the wall of the skyscraper and the wall of the pub. Ino and Shikamaru stood the same alley in a few weeks ago when he first confronted her, which was the only time he tried to convince her to come back home.

He heaved in a deep breath, sucking in his stomach and shimmied up the wall, trying to little to no noise. Shikamaru gripped onto the window ledges as he peeked into the windows, searching for a certain blonde woman.

Searching for Ino on the second floor of the pub, he slid across the skyscraper's wall, peeking into the four windows. The third window Shikamaru peered into he saw Ino spread across the bed directly across from the window with blankets tangled around her legs. She flipped over on her side, so her back faced him, then lifted her leg for a moment then proceeded to fling it to the other side of the bed, making her whole body flip, so she landed on her stomach. Shikamaru never pegged Ino as a hyperactive sleeper considering he spent half of his life sleeping next to her on forest floors and in cheap inns that couldn't provide two or three separate beds, so everyone slept in the same bed with Shikamaru being the one sleeping next to Ino. He couldn't recall Ino ever kicking him or stealing the blankets. Usually, Asuma took all the blankets or pushed everyone off the bed from his kicking and punching.

Hoping the window wasn't locked, Shikamaru took the pocketknife from his pocket and wedged it under the window. To his luck, the window was unlocked, and he easily opened the window and crawled inside the room with the intent to kidnap Ino and run back home with her in tow.

The floor boards creak underneath his careful footsteps, which caused Shikamaru to creep over to Ino slower than he planned.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a soft voice said to his left, scaring the goober out of him, but he quickly recuperated and gathered his bearings. At first glance, he only saw a pile of blankets stacked on the bed to his left, but with further inspection, in the middle of blankets, sparkling blue eyes glared at him. "This is the first night she hasn't screamed. Please, you're going to frighten her if you wake her up."

"You don't understand. I have to bring her home."

Ino's roommate slipped the blanket off her head, lowering the covers down to her petite shoulders. A pink mask covered her nose, but she pulled that down, revealing a beautiful woman with a cute, button nose and semi-full lips with a faint scar pulling down the corner of her lip. Straight hair dropped down her shoulders and stopped just below her small breasts.

"Shikamaru, isn't it?" she assumed with hard, questioning eyes. Before he had a chance to question her, she answered his impending question, "Ino talks about—eh, you in her dreams. Something about not wanting to ho home, how she can't return because she'll be a disgrace to her family, and something about letting everyone down….Can you please just wait a while longer? She's not ready to go back home."

Shikamaru stood in the middle of the room, tongue-tied. What could he say that countered the woman's plea? He could stomp his foot like a five-year-old, cross his arms, and say, "No!" The last thing Shikamaru wanted was for Ino to be in pain, and if this stranger says bringing her home could cause her more pain, or whatever, then maybe he should wait.

Annoyed with his troublesome situation, Shikamaru sighed and gave in. "If you say staying will make her feel better, than I supposed I can handle staying here longer, but sooner or later, she's coming with me."

"Just be sure she's okay."

A low rumbling hum startled the two of them, and when Shikamaru looked over at the girl to ask what that was, he watched her pull the mask over her nose. A sudden draft of a raunchy smell made Shikamaru grimace and pinch his nostrils shut. "What is that?" He coughed and stepped away, hoping the smell would go away.

"Ino has horrible gas tonight. I supposed when she's not screaming, she's farting. It's her first night not screaming, so I'm hoping her flatulence doesn't become a habit. Honestly, I'd rather take the screaming than this."

* * *

**Okay, this has to be the longest chapter yet, which I am proud of. I think it's choppy, however. I really have nothing else to say besides thank you for reviews and for just reading and such. Review, por favor, tell me what you think. **

**My next chapter…well, I'm not going to promise an update next week because I'll be busy, but hopefully I can squeeze something in my busy schedule! **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned! **

**Have A Fantastical Day. **


	10. Crawl: The Smile

**10. The Smile**

* * *

The frigid wind beating on his bare chest didn't affect him; it almost tickled, really. From across the gorge, the cities lights of Section 2 twinkled like stars in the night sky…except for the strip clubs and bar signs that glowed neon purples and pinks. Eh, someone could mistake those for U.F.O lights, he guessed.

What the hell was taking this guy so long?

He shifted his weight to his other leg and sighed, watching his breath appear in a cloud of hot air. Just as his breath disappeared, he could hear the hushed, careful footsteps of his client approaching from behind the boulder he leaned on.

"Before we start talking: one, you're fucking late, you dick. Two, it's not like I'm scared or anything, but do you really think having a meeting outside the Hokage's office is a good idea?"

His client leaned against the rock, breathing in deep heaves as if he ran to this particular meeting. He doubted it, knowing his client would make him wait for days if he didn't know his head would be sliced clean off.

"You're an hour late," he repeated, readjusting his bulky weapon to his right shoulder.

His client straightened up once he caught his breath. "I have far more important business to attend to."

He sighed, knowing this man would say something about the more important businesses to take care of. He just remained quiet, examining his fingernails and picking the dirt from underneath them. When his client began to shift from one foot to another and fidget with his hair, he said the routine statement, "Then, you can forget our—"

"No," his client—always—interrupted. "Before we can continue, I have a problem we need to fix first."

"You and your damn problems!"

"Can you stop being so impatient and let me share the plan?"

* * *

"This happened last night?" Minako asked as she eyed the checker pieces on the board. She inwardly groaned when she noticed Sachiko's pieces doubled the amount of hers. Briefly, she caught of glance of Sachiko nodding. "You weren't terrified someone broke into your room?"

"Worst things have happened."

"What could possibly be worse than that?"

Through her brown bangs, Sachiko gave Minako a pointed look, reminding Minako of whom she spoke to. Minako clicked her tongue at her. Knowing Sachiko for the nearly three years, Minako realized Sachiko isn't one to be surprised. Jumping a game piece of her opponent's, Minako continued the conversation. "Anyway, what'd he want?"

"He said he planned to take Ino and bring her back home."

"You didn't tell me it was her friend." She remembered him from the night he tried to convince Ino to go back home. After that, she hasn't seen his face for almost a month. She thought he gave up on Ino and went back home. "That explains things now."

Sachiko took her black checker piece and made it jump over Minako's red piece, which she quickly seized and cast it off to the side of the playing board. "She's not the same anymore, huh?" Sachiko never spoke to Ino when she first arrived at the pub, so she didn't know who or how Ino really was. Minako, however, roomed with the other blonde and shared the same shift.

"No." Minako sat still for a long moment with her eyes glued to the checkered board on the table. "When we went shopping, I kinda ran into her dressing room, and…she…," Minako paused, wondering if she should tell her news to Sachiko. Those scars she saw… They weren't hers to tell. "She had…these scars all over her body…." She rubbed her shoulders to show where the scars were. "All over her shoulders and back. She has these cuts around her thigh."

Sachiko traced a finger across the scar that plagued her face, reminiscing of the time she obtained it. "Where do you think they're from?"

Minako shrugged. Nothing she guessed seemed logical.

Everything fell silent except for the tapping of the checker pieces they moved around the board and the ticking of the clock until Minako leaned back in her chair, taking a break. "Do you ever wonder how she got away from him?"

Sachiko glanced at the sleeping Ino, who loudly declared she would play winner but fell asleep seconds after their game of checkers began. Her head rested against the tabletop while her arms wrapped around her stomach.

"I wonder every day."

* * *

"_Help me." _

"_Help me." _

"_Help me." _

_Women's voices chanted in Ino's mind. The voices were soft and melodic. When Ino opened her eyes, she immediately closed them again, blinded by the brightness of the white room she found herself lying in. Ino squinted, attempting to ignore the intense light and search for the source of the hypnotic voices. _

"_Don't let him get us." _

_Three black figures stepped into Ino's visions. They blurred around the edges and up close, they appeared to be nothing but translucent blobs. _

"_Don't let him get us." Ino looked up. Solid red eyes stared at her. _

_The figures released a high-pitched scream as a giant scythe sliced through them, ripping them in half and splattering Ino's face with a warm liquid. Among the shattered shadows, he stepped through the discarded figures and grabbed Ino face, forcing her to stare into his devilish eyes. His fingers pressed hard against her cheek, withdrawing painful tears. _

_His calloused fingers slid down her cheeks, smearing the liquid down her cheeks and when he raised his hand, she saw the scarlet that stained his fingertips. _

_The white room disappeared, replaced by absolute darkness. Ino sobbed, picking at her skin in attempt to peel the women's blood off her tainted skin. Beyond her sobbing cries, she could hear his voice chanting and occasionally his insane laugh, followed by her own scream as he tortured her. Ino leaned over, placing her forehead against the cool floor and covered her ears, trying to block out the terrorizing sounds._

_His voice ceased suddenly. Ino tentatively looked up. Her eyes met his lavender eyes and his maniacal grin. _

* * *

Ino jolted awake, screaming. She opened her eyes when a loud crash rang through her ears. Her wide, frightened eyes met the concerned and shocked gazes of Minako and Sachiko. The checker pieces and board were scattered along the floor along with the table she involuntarily flipped over.

Sachiko was the first to move, breaking the long moment of awkward silence. She stood from her seat to flip the table back on its feet, then picked up the scattered game pieces while Minako still stared at Ino with worry in her round, hazel orbs. Ino stared back, but not for long.

She turned away from Minako's gaze. "Sorry," Ino apologized quietly. "Did I mess up your game?"

Sachiko places all the game pieces back in its box. She smiled. "No, you just saved Minako from getting her ass whooped."

Ino jumped slightly when Minako latched onto her arm and rubbed Ino's shoulder with her cheek. "My hero!" she exclaimed, but Ino noticed the detachment in her voice.

The front door burst open and banged against the wall, causing pictures to shake and threaten to drop to the floor. "Ladies, get ready! Customers could be coming in any second now!" Jin announced as he raced to the kitchen with plastic and paper bags in his arms.

"I'm going to take a nap before my shift. I'll see you girls at midnight." With that said, Sachiko took the game box and left, leaving Minako and Ino to wipe the tables clean and to set up for the next several busy hours ahead of them.

* * *

Her glow in the dark clock ticked loudly, echoing through the dark, empty hallways throughout Sakura's apartment. From her bed, she stared at the clock and watched dull minutes tick-tock away. Occasionally, Naruto's snore pulled Sakura out of her trance, but she soon watched the minute hand again.

Naruto soundly slept, curled up in a tight ball with his arms locked around her fluffy stuffed bunny her mother bought Sakura for her seventeenth birthday. Whenever he slept at her place, usually he cuddled with the stuffed animal rather than her. Dating him for almost a year, she grew used to it, no longer jealous of the bunny.

"Naruto, are you awake?" Sakura shook the young man awake.

"What is it, hm?" he mumbled, grabbing her hand that rested on his shoulder and enlacing his fingers through hers. Sakura smiled and tightened her fingers around his, giving his fingers a quick squeeze. The warmth of his hand quickly warmed her body. She loved how warm he always was.

Sakura scooted closer to Naruto, keeping their fingers joined. "Remember that letter Shikamaru sent to Tsunade?"

Naruto glanced over his shoulder. "You didn't."

"I did."

He sighed. "Well, what'd it say?"

Sakura pulled closer to Naruto's bare back and leaned her forehead between his shoulder blades. "Ino is missing," she announced. Naruto tensed at the news. "Breathe, Naruto." He released a long breath, easing the tension.

"Is that why Shikamaru left?"

"Mhm, but I guess Ino doesn't want to come back to Konoha."

"Why?"

"It didn't explain."

Naruto turned to look at Sakura again. "You're not thinking about going over there are you?"

"I've thought about it."

"It's Shikamaru's job to bring her back. If Tsunade wanted you to go then she would have sent you instead of Shikamaru. Have some faith in him." Sakura repressed the urge to stick her tongue at him. Since when was Naruto the mature, reasonable one in this relationship? Sakura's good, mature habits probably rubbed off on him…

Maybe, as the next Hokage, he thought in the aspects of what a Hokage would do. After a year's apprenticeship with Tsunade and a rigorous lecture from the village elders, Naruto wasn't the impulsive young man who jumped into an exciting adventure the second it presented itself. He actually thought about the impact the "adventure" would have towards the village.

He really was assuming the role of his father, the great Yondaime. Sakura just hoped Naruto wouldn't face the same ending as his father.

"Did you fall asleep?" Naruto whispered, making Sakura giggle. She pulled her hand away from his and wrapped an arm around his stomach.

"For a second…then you started talking."

"It's what you get for waking me up first."

"I had a serious issue to discuss with you. You, on the other hand, just woke me up out of petty revenge."

She felt Naruto tighten his grip around her stuffed bunny. "Sakura, go to bed. Shikamaru will bring Ino back. There's no need to worry."

"Right." Sakura closed her eyes but behind the dark curtains, she tried to picture her life without Ino, but she only conjured her life to be lonely and shattered, like Ino's life at the moment, but Sakura didn't know that.


	11. Crawl: What If

**11. What If**

* * *

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not going back home!" Ino slammed the door in his face before he could squeeze a foot between the doorframe and the door, but considering how he felt the vibrations from that door slam, Shikamaru internally thanked himself for being slow at that moment.

"Are you kidding me, Ino?" Shikamaru roared as he kicked the door in pure frustration. "Can you stop being so stubborn and ffffff—!" He stopped himself from cussing out of pure habit. Mother engrained in his brain not to cuss in front of the ladies—"it's not attractive, and it insults women," she says. When Asuma and Choji were around, sure, he'd cuss, but when Ino came around, he had a virgin mouth.

After a deep breath, Shikamaru continued in a calmer tone, "Can you please listen to me?"

The past couples time he tried to convince her to come back home, Ino usually ignored him, so it surprised him when Ino appeared at the window with a scowl. She yelled, "No!" then snootily proceeded to flip the 'open' sign to 'closed' then left, leaving Shikamaru to stand by the door and rage to himself.

Ino, of all the people who were donkey stubborn, had to be the one to decide she never wanted to go back to Konoha. Shikamaru, of all the people who lacked the talent of persuasion, had to be picked to convince Ino to return. Tsunade must be playing a mean trick on him….

Shikamaru huffed, pulled his emergency cigarette out of his back pocket and sat down on the tiny stairs that led up to the entrance. He twirled his unlit cigarette between his fingers as he contemplated the different methods of convincing Ino into coming back home, or just knocking some sense into her. He favored the methods of the latter. Tsunade never mentioned anything about knocking his teammate upside the head a few times.

"Did Ino lock you out again?" Jin stood in front of him with an armful of groceries. "This has to be the third time this week."

"Yeah, well…" Shikamaru didn't finish his sentence. He flicked the unused cigarette across the alleyway.

Jin watched the cigarette tumble and roll down the alley. "Trying to quit?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru sighed as he leaned his head against the building and looked up at the patches of blue and white. "My mother doesn't support my habit, so I'm quitting for her." And Ino bit his ear off about the consequences of smoking, but he never really paid attention to Ino, who just picked on his habit because she already dissected every single "bad habit" he had previous to smoking.

Quitting the mission didn't seem like a horrible idea either….

Jin set his grocery bags on the ground and sat down beside Shikamaru, who inched over to make room for the older man. "My son used to have a horrible smoking habit. He cut down for his son who has asthma, and he had trouble breathing during missions, but I guess it doesn't matter since he died recently on a mission."

The subject of Jin's son threw Shikamaru's thoughts off. How was he supposed to respond to the news of his son recently dying? Someone needs to write a book about proper talking etiquette with a full chapter about what to say and what not to say when someone mentions a loved one dying. Shikamaru made a mental note to talk to his mother about that.

Shikamaru said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, kid." Jin chuckled. "I'm proud of him. He had a good life before he died. His son is eight." With a small playing on his old lips, the older man held his hand up to show Shikamaru how tall his grandson was. "He's a student at the academy. You know what I'm talking about, right?" Shikamaru nodded. He knew exactly what Jin talked about. Those were the good days when he could be lazy. "From what his teachers say, he has some talent—takes after his father, I bet."

"His mother isn't a shinobi?"

Jin shook his head. "No. His mother isn't the greatest person I know. She's a stripper out by Pretty Ladies, or whatever the hell that place is called." Shikamaru gulped down a heavy lump when Jin mentioned the name, remembering the time when that woman warmly invited him to come visit her. "I'm glad Shouji divorced her."

"What happens to your grandson?"

"Since his mother isn't 'fit to be a mother', he's staying with my wife and me." Jin's face brightened and his posture straightened as he spoke about his grandson. "Naoki is the best kid! He's such a sweet boy. You really need to meet him." Shikamaru smiled at his feet, trying to picture meeting Jin's grandson. He quickly shook the thought from his mind, knowing the time restraint Tsunade put him on. He had to grab Ino and haul ass out of Cloud.

"I'd be more than happy to."

Jin smiled at the younger man before placing a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder to push himself on his feet, groaning when his timeworn knees cracked in protest. "You'll have to excuse me, I have to get these inside before I have hungry employees pestering me about food. I'll see you later, right?"

"Most likely," Shikamaru grumbled, back in his dispirited morale.

"Don't give up on Ino. It may not seem like it, but Ino does need you."

"Really?" Shikamaru almost laughed. "It seems like she's fine on her own!"

Jin sighed and leaned against the door, mumbling to himself about how he should've kept sitting down. To Shikamaru, he said, "Ino does need you, and even though she doesn't realize it now, going back home will do her some good, so you, boy, need to keep pushing a little harder. It may not seem like she's taking in what you say—"

"She's completely ignoring me." He knew Ino better than anyone in this freaking village.

"Small steps, Shikamaru."

Just the thought of trying to convince Ino to return home made Shikamaru want tear out his hair by the roots. "How am I supposed to bring her home when she's so persistent about staying here?"

"You're a smart man. You'll think of something. Oh, here, you might want this." Jin handed Shikamaru a juice box. A juice box? Really? He was eight when he stopped drinking from juice boxes. They were small and never satisfied his thirst. Jin winked at him when Shikamaru gave him a puzzled look. Before the shinobi could question Jin, he retreated indoors and the door behind him, once again, leaving Shikamaru outside like a homeless mutt.

Shikamaru stabbed that juice box with the straw and sucked the life out of it.

* * *

Ino curled over the toilet, gagging on air and sometimes spilling the little breakfast she ate that morning. She gasped for breath as the relentless gagging spells limited her breathing.

Sachiko sat on the edge of the bathtub, keeping Ino's lengthy hair from falling into the toilet or getting in the way of the spilling water Ino vomited. Ino felt Sachiko's fingers run through her golden locks as she leaned over to give one last heave into the toilet.

"Ino, you should really stay home," Sachiko advised. Her hand rubbed up and down Ino's tense back in an attempt to soothe her twitchy body. She took a dry towel and dabbed the sweat drops forming on Ino's hairline and neck.

"No, I'm so close to getting enough money for my own apartment. I can't take any sick days." Thinking the horrific moment stopped, Ino leaned away from the toilet bowl.

Sachiko let Ino's hair fall from her fingers. "You'll work yourself to death to keep up with rent if you get an apartment. You can't just think about rent alone; what will you sleep on once you get your stupid apartment? What will you eat?"

Ino didn't think about that. She just wanted her own place as soon as possible and the ideas of furniture and food escaped her mind, but Ino wouldn't confess that to Sachiko. "I'm not living here for the rest of my life," she said, brushing away a strand of hair that ventured to the corner of her mouth.

Sachiko's eyes bore into the side of her face. "I bet you had a great life back home. I bet you had a good job, family, and friends back in Konoha." Ino's stomach flipped at the remark of Konoha. "From the stories you tell Minako and me, Konoha doesn't sound awful." Konoha definitely isn't a horrible place. "Now that we're on this subject, I've always wondered why you left."

Because she didn't want to go home with her secret hanging over her head like a dark, rainy cloud that hovered over Amekagure—ever present.

Ino wished her gagging returned to interrupt Sachiko's questions and accusation, but with Ino's luck, the spells never returned, leaving Ino to respond to Sachiko's questionnaire. What could she say that couls satisfy Sachiko's curiosity?

"I just wanted a new start." It was the truth.

"You gave up a supposedly great life back home for a shitty one like this? Everyone knows you're miserable here."

Ino stood up. "I have to go to work."

* * *

After her bar shift ended, Ino trudged up the stairs, flipping through her tips, counting each bill slowly and checking whether she accidentally stuck two bills together or not. With a defeated sigh, she shoved the money into her pocket. She didn't make enough money to rent one of the apartments down the street from the Blue Pub, which were the cheapest she found when she surfed the newspaper for open apartments.

If she worked one or two more nights…then maybe, she could raise the right amount of money for a place of her own. Now, after a busy shift as a waitress and a hard, harassment-filled shift as a bartender, Ino craved sleep more than anything.

Ino swung her bedroom door open and kicked it shut, not bothering to flip the lights on since she would flop on the bed and pass out. Her foot, however, remained on the ground despite all the exertions Ino gave; nothing made her foot budge. Her other foot involuntarily took a step, then the other took a step, followed by the other foot. She knew this trick better than anyone did.

"Damn it, Shikamaru. I've told you I'm not going back."

The lamp on Sachiko's nightstand turned on. "You have to sooner or later," Shikamaru said, taking a step towards Ino, making her mirror his movements despite all her struggles against the jutsu. She knew it was inevitable; no way could she break Shikamaru's technique…. "Ino, you have to listen," he whispered, taking closer steps towards Ino until they stood two steps away from each other. Ino locked her eyes on Shikamaru's feet, boring holes into them with a goaded glare. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her side—the only thing she could do.

If he laid one hand on her…

"Everyone misses you, you know." She felt his hot breath hitting her forehead, sending uncomfortable vibes down her spine and making her stomach flip in anxiety. "Your mom, your dad, Sakura…"

Hm, Sakura… Ino smiled when he mentioned her pink haired friend, her partner in crime. Not once in the four months she resided in Cloud did she think about Sakura. After all these months, Ino wondered, maybe something exciting presented itself to Sakura. For a brief second, she wondered how Sakura and Naruto were doing after almost a year of dating and in the same second, Ino wondered what present she should send them for their anniversary.

"Tsunade is worried, too."

Ino chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "Tsunade doesn't give a damn about me. I'm useless to her."

"Then tell me why I'm here busting my butt to bring you back home."

Ino shrugged. "She's concerned about my father's well-being. If he knows I'm missing, he'll never work until I'm found," she said, leaning away when she noticed Shikamaru leaning into her. She stepped back, finally realizing he released his jutsu. "But really, why bother bringing me back? I'm not worth it. I'm useless as a shinobi, and I'm pretty sure everyone's live are going swell without me. With that said, I'm staying here."

Ino continued to stare at Shikamaru's black, worn out sandals. It was one of those moments where she wanted to run away and lock herself in a room, exiling herself from the world. Shikamaru needed to go back home and leave her alone.

It was true that Ino missed Konoha, but that didn't mean she wanted to go back home. Returning home meant unwelcome questionnaires, and if anyone thought her disappearance as a threat to the village, they could have her own father tap into her head…. Ugh, that's the last thing she wanted.

Shikamaru's voice came in a low hum, forcing Ino to listen carefully. "What happened to make you like this?" He whipped a hand in her direction, gesturing to Ino's body.

What the hell did he mean by that? She glanced down at her body. Yes, she needed a tan, and maybe she needed to lose some weight considering her stomach slightly protruded, and her scars aren't that attractive, but they were all invisible underneath her clothes. There was no need for scrutinizing. Ino sighed and turned, booking it for the door.

* * *

He cursed Ino for noticing he released his technique. She turned to run for the door, and he went with the first thing that came to mind, he tackled her. Ino's hand wrapped around the doorknob when he grasped her small wrist and pulled her into his chest as he lost his footing and collapsed to the ground, bringing Ino down with him.

Ino froze for a moment, growing rigid and tense as Shikamaru's arms tightened around her body. She began to move, pressing a hand on the floor to push her body up from the floor. Shikamaru loosened his hands around her, tentatively letting her go. As she kneeled, her fists started to fly, pounding Shikamaru's chest and face.

"Don't touch me!" She wailed, slamming hard fists in his chest. Shikamaru gasped for air between Ino's rapid punches. Warm drops of tears dropped onto his cheeks and neck. Tears streamed down Ino's thin cheeks as she continued to punch. Her jabs to his chest weakened, but they persisted to come.

"Ino," he whimpered, wincing at the sudden punch to his jaw. "Calm down." He sat up and attempted to encase the sobbing girl into his arms. She shoved his arms away and laid another jab to his face. "Since when did you punch so hard?"

Her crying declined into whimpers and incoherent whispers. "Why me?" she chanted.

"Ino?"

"What?" she sniffed.

Shikamaru had no idea what to tell her. Convincing her to come back home at this time would land him in the hospital, and he didn't want any more waterworks. Shikamaru didn't answer, just crawled over to her and encased her hand into his. She inhaled a sharp breath at the contact, and he was grateful when Ino didn't punch him in the face for it.

"I—you can stay."

For once in his life, he remained patient as he waited for Ino's response. Her silent tears ceased as the shock claimed her. Ino opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly closed it and after a long internal debate, she plunged into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his chest. Shikamaru winced slightly.

"Thank you," Ino's muffled voice said.

Shikamaru hesitantly combed her fingers through her hair. "However, until you decided to come back home, I'm staying here."

Ino sighed. "I knew this was too good to be true."


	12. Crawl: Unwanted Hero

**12. Unwanted Hero**

* * *

"_Are you sure you want to take this mission alone?" Tsunade's eyes averted from the mission scroll to Ino's enthusiastic eyes. Her blue eyes nearly popped from their sockets as Tsunade reluctantly handed over the scroll. "Having a partner for this mission will increase the success rate, and it'll also make the job easier." _

_Ino unrolled the delicate paper and read the mission description with nervous exhilaration. It was her turn to be successful in a solo mission. Shikamaru and Choji went on their first solo mission years ago, and Asuma goes on his own all the time. This mission was hers and hers only. _

"_Yes, I'm sure." _

"_Then, good luck, Ino Yamanaka. I hope your mission goes well." _

* * *

"You really shouldn't have come." Shikamaru tore his face away from Ino's helping hand. Ino, with much applied force, grabbed Shikamaru's chin and pulled his bruised face in her direction. She sighed as she examined the ugly discoloration forming along his jawline. "Really, you shouldn't have snuck into my room." Ignoring the pained hiss from her teammate, she pressed the cold compress against his pale skin.

Shikamaru gripped her wrist and pulled her hand away from his face. Ino bit her threats as she eyed the hand that wrapped around her wrist. "I don't need any ice," he grunted, taking the icepack away from Ino and tossing it into the sink.

"You're just upset that I beat you up, you baby. Stop trying to be a man and rub some damn ice on your face." Ino shook off his hand and retrieved the icepack from the sink, then handed it to Shikamaru, who, much to her approval, disgruntledly pressed the compress against his cheek.

Ino sat on a stool and leaned against the counter, watching her teammate spit out blood. According to him, he bit his tongue when she punched him in the face and after announcing said news, he proceeded to spit blood on her carpet. Sachiko might have a heart attack when she sees the blood…. Shikamaru grimaced at the blood he spit into the sink, reminding Ino how much he hated the sight of blood.

"How's everyone back in Konoha?" she asked, picking at the corner of an old newspaper. "It's been a while since I've received any letters from anyone."

Shikamaru gave one last spit before sitting across from her. "It's been a month since I've seen anyone."

"It beats being gone for three."

"Sakura and Naruto are still dating."

"That's not surprising." Gossiping with Shikamaru was like gossiping with her mother, who seemed to be the last person in the village to hear the juicy gossip. However, when the juicy gossip reached her, it wasn't gossip anymore—it was old, freaking news. Ino always felt bad when her mother would barge into her room or suddenly call her with "exciting news", and it turned out Ino heard the news months ago.

"Kurenai is due in a month or two."

"Already?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Asuma is hysterical. I think it's the lack of cigarettes getting to him. The last time I checked, he's down to half a pack."

When they first became a team, Asuma went through three cartons of cigarettes a day, lighting a cigarette every five minutes and finishing one within two. Once he started dating Kurenai, he limited himself to two, and after constant pestering from Ino—she told him smoking wasn't attractive and could possibly be the reason why Kurenai dumped him in the future—he cut down to a pack a day.

"I hope he doesn't smoke around the kid."

"Asuma is more responsible than that."

"I know."

Ino had to admit: she missed being around her close friends. With Minako and Sachiko, she had to keep her personal items guarded, unable to share her past and her life back in Konoha with them. Speaking with Shikamaru made her more homesick.

"Is there anything else going on?" Ino asked, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in her chest.

"There's a rumor going around about Hinata and Kiba being an item, but according to Kiba, they're nothing like that. Hinata is still hung up about Naruto, which is a shame for her since he's with Sakura…."

Ino sighed, knowing that drama all too well. When she went to lunch with Hinata and Sakura, a persistent tension lingered in the air even though Hinata established there were no grudges held against Sakura for dating Naruto. Sakura felt horrible for dating Naruto sometimes because of her friend's extreme crush, and she claimed herself to be a "boy stealing daughter of a whore". Ino waved her off and advised her to enjoy her time with Naruto. Hinata will find her special person eventually.

Ino inwardly hoped for the rumor to be true, so Hinata could be happy. "People can date someone and still like another. Naruto is just a childhood crush of hers—just can't help but feel drawn to him still. Kiba, however, could be something more serious to her, you know?"

"Or maybe you're just reading too much into this rumor?"

She shrugged. "I'm just saying."

Shikamaru smiled at her and shrugged back. He leaned forward and closed his eyes with his chin resting in the palm of his hand. She never noticed how tired Shikamaru looked until he closed his eyes, eyelashes tickling the dark bags hanging under his eyes.

Back home, Shikamaru wandered the streets when he couldn't sleep, probably because he thought too much at night. Usually around two in the morning, he'd knock at her apartment door. She opened the door always, but not without spurting death threats and insults towards Shikamaru, who calmly sauntered into her apartment without a comment towards her moodiness. Every time he came to visit her at night, they sat at the kitchen table, talking. Ino rambled about various topics, but when she made Shikamaru talk, he usually gabbed about his battle strategies he conjured up before a long mission, or his daily worries. He really did think about too much….

Eventually, Shikamaru would fall asleep on her dining table in the same position with his chin resting in his palm and his head cocked to the side.

"Ino," he whispered with his eyes still closed. "Answer this one for me."

"What?"

"Have you ever met the Raikage?"

"No?"

"Well, when you do, make sure you have a handshake in mind."

* * *

The next morning, Minako woke up earlier than usual and managed to beat everyone to the breakfast table, which was incredibly rare. She did her morning routine of dressing, brushing her teeth, and tying her frizzy hair that closely resembled a bird's nest into a bun at the top of her head. She promised she'd wash her hair after lunch.

Trying not to wake up her roommate, who was a grouchy pants early in the morning, Minako tiptoed past Mai's bed.

The floorboards creaked while Minako shuffled her tired feet down the hallway, past Ino's room where Minako heard the regular whimpers coming from Ino, who suffered from her nightly nightmares. She shuffled past Takao's room, which, for the most part remained, silent on the other side.

Little light came through the single window at the end of the hall. The skyscraper blocked the sun from getting through that window, giving a feel of the time being midnight rather than seven in the morning.

Minako softly hummed her own tune as she hopped down the squeaky stairs and into the kitchen. Minako stopped dead in her tracks. She circled the man who rested on the island counter, trying to look at his face but his arms encased his face. Minako crouched down and looked up. Black, coal eyes stared back at her.

"Holy!" Minako sprung back, but of course, she didn't spring back without kicking over the stool the stranger sat on, causing the poor man to crash to the cold floor.

"Ow," he grumbled, rolling onto his stomach as he held his elbow to his chest. Minako sympathized for a second—hitting the funny bone isn't all that fun…. She sat there, watching the man abruptly stop rolling on the ground and take in his surroundings. "Where am I?" he asked. She watched him sit up and didn't move an inch when his eyes zeroed in on her. "Oh, I must've fallen asleep."

"You're Ino's friend, aren't you? Shikamaru, right?"

"Who are you?"

"Minako. What are you doing here?"

"I was talking to Ino last night, and I guess I fell asleep," he said as he shook out the tingles in his arm. "Don't worry, I'll leave right now."

Minako held up a hand. "It's all right. You can stay. I want to see Ino's reaction when she sees—what happened to your face?"

"She beat me up."

"Oh….Well, what would you like for breakfast?" Minako jumped up and started to dig through the cupboards. "I can make cereal and…that's it, so what will it be?"

Shikamaru set his fallen stool upright and climbed on top. Minako set two bowls on the counter top and held up the different breakfast cereals the cupboards had to offer.

"I'll have whatever you have," Minako said as she held up an orange cereal box with a cartoon cartoon grinning on the front of it; Shikamaru declined, shaking his head. He smiled when she mumbled, "Good choice," then held up a healthy looking choice with dried fruits and granola.

"That's fine if you're all right with it."

"Yeah, it's cool. This is my cereal anyway." Minako flipped the box around to show her name written all over the back of the box.

They ate in silence. Minako managed to sneak in quick glances of the stranger eating in front of her. He appeared to be older than she was, but that really didn't say much considering people thought she looked about sixteen. No one believed her when she said she was twenty-three. He was Ino's friend, so maybe that meant he was around her age—nineteen or twenty.

Did he love Ino enough to make the journey to Cloud in order to convince her into going back? When Minako ran away from Konoha, no one came to retrieve her. She wrote a letter to her adopted parents once, but she never received a reply from them. If she were Ino, she'd go back with Shikamaru in a heartbeat.

Maybe Ino came to Kumo because they had a horrible break up, so she ran away to get away from him. Funny, though, Ino didn't seem like the type to be attracted to the gloomy, pessimistic looking men with long hair.

"Are you two dating?"

Shikamaru almost choked on the spoonful of cereal he shoved into his mouth. He stared at Minako with a crazy stare as he slowly chewed his breakfast and swallowed. "Are we dating? No."

"Then you must be good friends."

"I supposed."

"Cause if you weren't good friends, you wouldn't be here right now, huh?"

Shikamaru played with the milk, dipping the spoon into the milk, raising it, then tipping the milk back into the bowl. He remained quiet for a minute. Minako seconded guessed her accusation. Maybe they weren't friends after all. Then, why was he freaking here?

"We're best friends. Or, we were until now, I think. She kinda hates my guts for showing up."

"I would too if I wanted to be left alone."

"Well, it's a very complicated situation."

"I understand."

Shikamaru raised a brow at her. "You do?"

"Yeah, sure. I know the whole story."

"You do?"

Minako nodded. "Yeah. You guys are best friends, right? Well, you want to be more than friends, so you came all the way over here just to show Ino how much you care about her. Am I right?" She knew by the shocked look on Shikamaru's face that she was undoubtedly right. Her soap operas always have the same plot about the man craving to be more than friends, but the woman just can't take a hint.

Shikamaru bit his lip. "Yeah."

"So, how about you come with us to the Spring Festival next week? It'll be a great time to tell her how you really feel."

"Shouldn't Ino know? I don't think she'd want me to go; she hates me right now."

"I want to see Ino's reaction. It'll be fun."

"What'll be fun?" Ino rounded into the kitchen, pausing when she noticed Shikamaru sitting across the island from Minako. "You're still here?"

"You let me fall asleep here," Shikamaru rebutted.

Before Ino could respond, Minako jumped from her seat and turned to the other blonde. "Good morning, sunshine!"

* * *

"You look like a cheery ball of sunshine this morning," Chi sarcastically greeted as Ino stomped through the restaurant door. Her co-worker leaned against the cash register, examining her yellow colored fingernails.

Ino didn't know what it was with Chi that pissed her off so much. Could it be her laziness? Ino manned both of their sections while Chi lounged at the cash register, painting her nails bright shades of ugly colors—for example, the disgusting yellow currently on her nails that looked similar to dying grass or the shade of urine. She constantly excused herself from customers when she happened to notice a chip in the paint, or she didn't fancy the color anymore, so she dropped everything to change the paint. Ino didn't know why the boss hasn't fired Chi.

Ino strode past the cash register where Chi snobbishly snorted to herself—probably thinking her sarcastic comment was absolutely hysterical when really, Chi should just drown herself in the sink for saying something so stupid like that; Ino's heard better.

Ino found the employee lounge empty when she arrived. According to the clock, she had about fifteen minutes before her shift started. She sat down on the couch, resting her aching feet after the twenty-minute walk from the Pub.

Grudgingly, because she knew Minako could lose sight of a person who stood about five heads taller than her—totally exaggerated, but he's obviously bigger than Minako—, Ino left Minako in charge of babysitting Shikamaru, who insisted on walking Ino to work, but she knew he just wanted another opportunity in urging Ino to return. She would have none of that!

Ino could only imagine the embarrassing stories Shikamaru could tell Minako and vice versa. Minako was a sucker for the story about Ino being locked in the "haunted" storage room and stranded there as a prank from the whole staff. According to Takao, it's a tradition, and everyone suffered through it. And according to Sachiko, no one made her or Minako do it. Hearing that, Ino went on a violent rampage on the boys.

There were tons of embarrassing stories Shikamaru could tell, but thankfully, majority of them occurred during their training, and he couldn't reveal Ino's true identity.

"Ino!" she heard Chi yell. "There's a customer who needs your assistance!"

Ino glanced at the clock. Five minutes before her shift, but she knew Chi wouldn't tend to the customer, so Ino hopped from the couch and started her work day with her apron already tied to her waist and her notebook filled with orders from previous customers in her hand.

"Hello," she greeted warmly, putting on a fake smile for the customer. "Three? Come this way. My name is Ino, by the way…."

The day dragged on.

Three o'clock ticked by as Ino finished wiping down the tabletop and replaced the dirty utensils with clean ones. The few customers surrounding her chatted about their days and their plans. The cooks laughed hardily at their jokes, and the new girl paced around her section, asking customers if they need anything. Ino definitely preferred the new girl than Chi, who left about two hours ago.

Ino glanced out the window. The streets of Kumogakure weren't as busy as they usually were. People still hustled through the streets, looking like they're late from their break. Teenaged couples stalked the streets with their hands intertwined and smitten gazes.

"Ino!" the new girl called, ripping Ino's attention from the scenery to the clueless brunette girl who circled the soda machine. "What do I do if we're out of ice?"

"I'll be there in a sec," Ino assured, hustling to reset the table now. She took one last peek outside. Lavender eyes met hers. He grinned at her, spiking her heartbeat to irregular heights. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. No one walking past him seemed to notice him standing in the middle of the sidewalk. No one noticed a humongous man taking up the sidewalk…. He couldn't be real.

"Ino!" the girl called, panicky now.

Ino quickly glanced at the girl. She held two pitchers underneath the spouts as the machine refused to stop pouring soda.

"Tsh, first there's no ice, and now it won't stop pouring!" Ino exclaimed, rushing over to the girl to aid her. "How about you just leave the machine to me from now on?"

The younger girl nodded her head enthusiastically. "That's a good idea."

Ino smiled. When the new girl turned her back to Ino, she glanced out the window, and the man was gone.

* * *

**This will be the last update for a while. **


	13. Crawl: Uphill from Nowhere

**13. Uphill from Nowhere**

* * *

The day of the Spring Festival, the citizens chattered cheerfully about their plans and traditions around Ino as she rushed back to the Pub after a harsh day at work. Chi, being the lazy fool she always was, called in sick, so Ino managed the entire restaurant, running everywhere and balancing twenty things on her tiny tray. When the new girl—the new, _accident prone _girl—showed up, yes, Ino's job became a bit easier…after she cleaned up the shattered glass the girl spilled on the floor. After that, the day went dandy!

The best thing about the day was the fact she didn't have to go back to that damn restaurant for a week since she asked for personal days to "mourn for the death of her grandma"—really, Ino needed time to rest her worn out body that experienced hard work every day with very diminutive sleep. The thought of sleeping in on the weekdays made Ino giddy inside as she thought about sleeping in until noon like Minako.

"You're home early," Minako commented when Ino barged through the door. Ino stalled her steps to gawk at the scene between Minako and her teammate, Shikamaru. Shikamaru slouched in a chair with a 'kill me now' sort of look as Minako sat on the tabletop, braiding his hair.

What the hell! Shikamaru never let Ino braid his hair!

The young man glared at Ino, who just stood there, gawking at the rare sight. "I swear, if you tell anyone about this—" He couldn't finish his threat since Minako pulled his hair, making him wince.

"Not even Asuma?"

"You will die."

Ino flinched at the word but quickly hid it by faking a laugh. "He'd die laughing if he knew about this." She sat down, watching Minako style his hair with a goofy grin on her face.

"Freaking—I swear, Ino—"

"Calm down; I won't tell anyone."

Shikamaru, for some odd reason, became part of the Blue Pub family. He weaved his way into the heart of Minako, who adored her teammate as if he were her older brother and tagged alongside him like a lovesick puppy. Shikamaru didn't seem to mind. Watching the two of them was almost cute.

Jin and Shikamaru were beer buddies supposedly, says Shikamaru. For the past week, Jin actually showed his face every day to converse and have a beer with Shikamaru. Said teammate is also supposedly living with Jin, who lives about a block from the Pub in a duplex house.

Since when did Shikamaru become so likeable?

"So, are you still coming to the festival with us tomorrow, right?" Minako asked as she combed through his black hair with her fingers. She pulled his hair through his rubber band, tying it back to its original style.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said as he straightened up in his chair, taking a sip of his beer.

Ino held up a hand, pausing the event unfolding before her. "No."

"Why not?" Minako protested as a childish pout began to grow.

"Yeah, why can't I?" Shikamaru asked, arching a brow. He took another swig of his beer.

"You just can't."

"That's not a legitimate for me not to go."

"It's just a stupid festival."

"You don't think the festival back home is stupid," Shikamaru rebutted while Minako kicked Ino's shin under the table and said, "Ino, don't be so harsh."

"Minako, how about you shut up?"

"Geez, you're so moody these days…."

"I am not moody."

"And you stink, too," Sachiko added from the kitchen. Since when did she become part of this conversation? Shikamaru grunted, choking down his laughter. Ino glared at him, resisting the urge to kick him in the shin.

"I don't stink." Ino bowed her head to sniff her armpit then took a strand of her hair and ran it across her nostrils. "I smell delicious."

"Are you not aware how bad you fart in the middle of the night?" Sachiko exclaimed, resulting in loud laughing combustion from Minako and Shikamaru.

"Girls don't fart," Ino deadpanned.

* * *

Later that night, Shikamaru leaned against a table in the main room of the Pub, waiting for the girls to finish changing into their yukatas. He, not being one for festivals, decided not to dress for the occasion, remaining in his long sleeved navy shirt and his black sweat pants with his usual worn torn sandals.

Ino suggested Shikamaru hang out with the two other men who lived at the Pub. He needed some "man time", she says. He decline and reassured her that the thing he wanted to do was hang out with the three prettiest girls in Kumogakure, which the two Kumo girls replied with a blush and a "you're too sweet" from Minako while Ino responded with a hard punch to the stomach. She knew better than to accept his compliments.

Since the night, almost a week ago, she beat him to oblivion and seconds later, soaked his favorite shirt with her heavy tears, Shikamaru noticed a better change in Ino. He noticed the life slowly coming back into her dull, blue eyes. Every once in a while, she'd flash a tiny smile. Even her cheeks gained slight color back, now constantly a tint of pink. However, she still acts detached from the world, often zoning off when she spoke with others. She held herself with little confidence—something Shikamaru could not get used to—and she tried to make herself invisible with her head down, arms wrapped around her stomach and her knees tucked against her chest. Shikamaru could only wonder what's going on in Ino's head, and if he asked, Ino would only ignore him.

"Maybe I should've gone with the pink," Minako mumbled as she bounded down the rickety stairs, dressed in a bright yellow yukata with a butterfly pattern beaded into the bright cloth. "I look like a giant squash." At the last couple of steps, she stumbled over her feet as she tried to tie the dark, ocean blue obi tight around her waist. As she walked over to Shikamaru, still stumbling over her feet, she mumbled to herself, "I can never get these things right…." She brushed her curly bangs from her face when she glanced up at Shikamaru. A blue ribbon tied her hair back at the nape of her neck.

Sachiko slowly walked down the stairs in short, awkward steps. Minako chuckled at the other woman. "It's tight around the legs, Sachiko."

Sachiko snorted in response and pulled the skirt up to her knees, so she could march faster down the steps. Down the length of the fiery red yukata, a yellow and orange dragon coiled around a detailed, old willow tree with its vines swaying. Humming her own tune, Minako spun Sachiko around to study how she tied the obi.

"You have it wrong," Minako said, taking the white bows of Sachiko's obi and tugging at them.

Sachiko smacked away Minako's hands. "Don't touch it! I have it right! You're jealous you can't tie one!"

Minako and Sachiko couldn't be more polar opposites. Shikamaru couldn't get enough of it, which reminded him of him and Ino. The girls especially reminded him of Naruto and Sasuke, except Minako and Sachiko weren't so extreme about killing each other. Well, they probably weren't so intent on killing each other….

"I am not. Where's Ino?" Shikamaru snickered at the abrupt subject change while Sachiko rolled her eyes and helped Minako tie her obi correctly.

Ino poked her head into the room, glaring at the trio lazing around the main room. "I seriously look horrible in this thing. I'm not wearing it."

Minako growled feverishly, rolling her eyes. "We've had this freaking conversation five minutes ago, Ino. You look fine. What's worse than looking like a freaking squash?" Minako gestured towards her own yukata and raised her brows at Ino, challenging Ino to top her.

"I look fat and ugly."

Shikamaru almost choked on the air he inhaled, wondering if his ears heard right. Did Ino just call herself fat and ugly? Since when did Ino ever degrade herself? He didn't know if he should pull out a tape recorder or not—this being a monumental moment and all…. Back home, she constantly checked her reflection as she passed anything that could reflect a mirror image. She'd smile at the sight and walk with a confident bounce added to her already confident gait.

Minako marched over to the corner, making Ino back away from her. Shikamaru heard Minako threaten his poor teammate, "I'll pull you over there by your hair if you don't come in five seconds." She backed up from the corner, back into the main room, and held up a fist. Minako held up her index finger. "One."

"Minako, I look horrible!"

"Two." She added her middle finger.

"Please, don't make me do this."

"Three."

"Minako…."

"Four…."

"Okay, I'm coming!"

Shikamaru heard a distant, irritated huff as Ino ruffled with her yukata, probably tying the obi around her waist or pulling the skirt out so it wouldn't drag along the floor. His blonde teammate slumped as she stomped into the main room with childish defiance.

Minako bounced around the cross Ino, who glared at the bouncing preppy woman. "Doesn't she look lovely, Shikamaru?" Minako sang. Ino's eyes instantaneously locked onto Shikamaru's face and the words, "Not a word," flood into his mind. Did Ino learn a new technique during her time away? Or maybe his instincts were telling him to keep his yapper shut. He went with the latter, knowing Ino couldn't practice anything since she technically was a civilian.

"You look nice, Ino," he mumbled, rebelling against his instincts, who were screaming at him to keep his mouth zipped, but when Ino's cold glare softened, he knew he did something right for once.

His teammate's eye shone against the lavender cloth with white cherry blossoms randomly scattered along her yukata. She tugged at the long braid with a purple ribbon weaved through her hair. Minako slapped the hand that threatened to pull out the rubber band that held the braid together.

"And you're not dressed up?" Ino interrogated, placing a hand on a cocked hip.

The stance reminded Shikamaru of his tyrannical mother. "N-No."

Ino turned to Sachiko. "Why do I want to punch him so bad?" Shikamaru stiffened and quickly thought of a speedy getaway if Ino decided to become violet with him.

"Because you're hormonal," Sachiko deadpanned. "Don't worry. It'll pass."

"You better be right."

"When am I ever wrong?"

Silence.

The festival took place in Section 1, where the wealthier citizens and the shinobi lived, which was located in a large cave—for a lack of a better word—that could fit three-quarters of Konoha. From Section 2, the upper level of the village, stairs spiraled down the mountainside with pink, blue, and orange lanterns lighting the path down to the lower levels.

Minako hopped along Ino, Sachiko, and Shikamaru. Occasionally, she'd give everyone a heart attack when she spontaneously decided to jump onto the guard railing and bend over to peer into the darkness. Bless Sachiko….She grasped on Michiko for her dear life and attempted to tug her back onto the stairs, but as hard as she tried, Minako remained on the railing.

"Minako, if you fall, it's not the village's fault," Sachiko warned as she finally pulled Minako away from the guardrail. "They warned you about this at the gates."

"Stop being such a wet blanket. I'll be fine. Ino will even vouch for me, right, Ino?"

From the corner of his eye, Shikamaru glanced at Ino, who leaned against the rocks as if she wanted to create the most distance between her and Shikamaru as humanly possible in their tight situation. Ino glowered at her feet with her eyebrows pinching and relaxing, pinching and relaxing.

Minako popped her blonde head into Shikamaru's view, startling him and making him feel like a total dumb ass—Minako couldn't scare a thing. "Ino?" Minako called, waving a hand in front of Ino's troubled eyes.

Ino stared through Minako's hand and continued to glare at her sandals, so Shikamaru gently elbowed Ino's ribs to catch her attention. Ino froze and pinned her back against the wall as she gawked at him with terrified eyes. He ignored her sudden breakdown and beckoned to Minako, who once again hung over the guardrail, oblivious to the fact she had a good chance of committing unintentional suicide. Sachiko quietly warned Minako if she wouldn't behave, Sachiko would personally push her friend off the edge. In response, Minako wiggled her butt and shouted, "This is fun!"

"Minako," Ino said quietly—something Shikamaru couldn't grow accustomed to since she always shouted at people even if she were shoulder to shoulder with someone. "What do you want?"

Minako, to Sachiko's relief, jumped from the railing. "Oh, it's nothing. We're here!"

Lanterns of dull pinks, oranges, and yellows wrapped around the gateposts and illuminated the night sky with their shine. As the group of four walked through the open gates of Section 1, more lanterns filled Shikamaru's sights, reminding Shikamaru how bright the lanterns were during Konoha's festival. One year, when coming back from a mission in Suna, he could stand on treetops and see the luminous lights and fireworks when he was two day's journey away.

Ino walked about ten paces behind him and the two girls as they walked through the streets, seeing the different food carts and mini-games. The thing that puzzled Shikamaru the most was her quietness. Accompanying her to almost every Spring Festival in Konoha, Ino usually jumped all over the place, playing all the games that didn't prohibit shinobi from playing, and she gorged herself with all the sweets she could eat once a year. Looking at her now, Ino let Minako play all the games and instead of eating her sweets in one bite, she took small bites and took her time chewing with a distant gaze in her eye, as if she were thinking about topics far beyond the excitement of the festival. Minako and Sachiko didn't notice her unusual behavior.

"Ino, come do this game!" Minako pointed to a stand containing three bull's eyes and a noticeable sign hanging on one of the posts that forbid shinobi from participating. Ino seemed to notice the sign since she shook her head.

"I'm horrible at those games," Ino lied, smiling in apology.

"You can't be that bad! You win a giant teddy bear if you win!"

Shikamaru, in an effort to take Ino out of the hot spot, stepped between Ino and Minako. He wrapped an arm around Minako's shoulders to pull her closer to him as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. He felt Ino's elbow jab him into the rubs, but he ignored the moment of pain to whisper the key to winning the game.

After he pushed Minako towards the game, he turned to Ino with a triumphant grin. She stared back at him with her arms crossed. "That can be considered cheating."

"Since when was giving pointers cheating?" Shikamaru grinned at her again, and Ino stepped away from him, ripping her gaze away from his. For a second, the action puzzled him, but he knew the Ino in front of him was an imposter, so he brushed it off.

"I said I was sorry!" Minako shouted as a man chased her away with a broom. Minako hid behind Ino, who held her position and glared at the raging man. Without a word, the man huffed and trudged back to his stand.

Ino glanced over her shoulder to look at the cowering woman. "What happened?"

"I hit him in the thigh. Those kunai things are hard to control!" Shikamaru felt the look of 'I told you so' impending in three…two…ah, there it is. From experience, Ino and Shikamaru knew how hard it was to grip the kunai and knowing Minako…the combination of kunai and Minako didn't mix now that Shikamaru thought about it. He could only shrug off the glare from Ino and his bonehead mistake of letting Minako near a sharp object.

"Giving her pointers, huh?" Ino sneered. "This is why you're always backing everyone up, Shikamaru. You're almost useless with weapons."

Shikamaru scoffed. "I am not useless. I wouldn't be—"

"What are you two talking about?" Minako asked.

Ino shook her head. "Nothing, Minako. Oh, look! There's another game…that does not consist of sharp weapons and angry looking old men!" Ino pointed in the direction of the game, and Minako ran off, dragging Sachiko along with her.

"You almost blew your cover."

"Good thing she has the attention span of a goldfish. Anyway, my cover doesn't matter anyone since I'm withdrawn. I could tell everyone about my being a kunoichi, but since I'm not going back, I'm technically a citizen of Kumogakure."

Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes. Here she goes again…. "No, you're not, Ino."

"No one asked you." Stubborn as always. A trait Shikamaru _wished _she lost.

"Do I seriously need to beat"—Ino flinched at the word, but he ignored it—"some sense into you? If you go AWOL, I have no choice but to apprehend you by force. If you're not back in Konoha in the next two months, Tsunade will declare you rogue. After that, we have no idea what'll happen."

Ino rolled her eyes.

"Can you please listen to me?" he begged, growing irritated with the woman. "We need you back on the field. Anko is pissing everyone off, and your dad needs you back. He can't do his job by himself."

"No one will want me back."

"Everyone wants you back. Not just for work, but everyone does miss you."

"Can you shut up? I'm not going back."

The anger and frustration gradually building up in his body reached into unthinkable heights as he watched Ino turn and begin to walk away. He needed to punch something. He marched along with Ino as they raced down the main street, knocking people off the feet and pushing them into other people. "For someone so damn smart, you're acting like a…fucking dumbass!"

Ino abruptly stopped as she exhaled a harsh "HA!" then preceded the mockery he foresaw. "Shikamaru actually swore! Mama's boy is growing up!"

"Sachiko won a goldfish, guys!" Minako announced just as Shikamaru opened his mouth. He turned to face the other girls, not ridding of his glare, which stopped Minako and Sachiko advancing on the two shinobi. Sachiko quickly glanced at Ino, who had her back turned towards the two, and Minako stared at Shikamaru with a blank expression.

"Ino," he called to the insecure girl, who hesitantly looked over her shoulder, "come with me. You girls go on ahead. We'll meet up with you shortly." With one last glimpse at Ino, he began to lead the way to a flight of stairs located behind a ramen stand. He sensed Ino walking closely behind him, her footsteps quiet as they both climbed the stairs.

* * *

The mass of people with their wonderfully decorated yukatas looked like a rainbow of polka dots, and the thousands of lanterns glittered and glowered on the stands and enormous houses that belonged to the privileged rich. Ino could see everything from the platform her and Shikamaru stood on.

"They can't have fireworks," Shikamaru said suddenly after a pregnant silence. "Because the cave will collapse if they shoot any kind of extreme firework."

"I like fireworks," Ino whispered, still mesmerized by the sight of the festival below them.

Shikamaru stayed silent, but stepped closer to her. Ino inched away from him until her arm pressed against the wooden railing.

"You do that a lot," he accused, averting his eyes from the mass of people to Ino's uncomfortable face. Ino fiddled with her sleeve, clueless of what to say.

"You're scared of me," he assumed.

"I'm not scared of you." The actuality was that Ino feared every single person that could any harm to her, especially men. Shikamaru, being a man, obviously bigger, and most likely stronger than she is, terrified Ino even though they have been partners for almost ten years.

Shikamaru seemed to read Ino's mind. "Sorry, let me rephrase. You're scared of everyone. You're afraid of everyone that comes within arm's reach." To prove his point, Shikamaru reached out to poke her, but before he could touch her, she cringed away, scooting away from him so she stood about three arm lengths away.

Her teammate exhaled loudly and shook his head. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you like this?" Shikamaru reached into his pocket to pull out a carton of his cigarettes. Ino raised a brow at the sight of the cigarettes. He knew she disapproved of them. Shikamaru crushed the carton and threw it over the railing.

"Ow! What the hell!"

Shikamaru leaned over the railing. "Sorry!" Going back to the topic of Ino, he looked at her with the same concerned gaze everyone gave her. "You're not the same Ino I knew before you left."

"I am, too."

"Definitely not. The Ino I know would've beat me for saying she was scared of me."

Ino scoffed, glaring at him. "I wouldn't! I'm much more civil than that."

Shikamaru didn't say anything. He turned around and continued to watch the people below the platform. Ino remained in her corner, keeping the distance between her and her comrade.

Of all people, why did Tsunade send Shikamaru? 'Cause Tsunade knew Shikamaru was just as stubborn as Ino and wouldn't give up on the search as easily as anyone else would. Shikamaru, like Minako, never took 'no' for an answer.

"Tch, this is so troublesome, you know. I have to bring you home somehow. If not, both of our asses are on the line. I can't go home until you come with me."

"That's not happening."

"You like it here?"

"No."

"Will you be able to live as Ino Yamanaka here?"

"No, not necessarily."

"Do you have any sort of family here?"

"No."

"Don't you love it back in Konoha? Can you live as Ino Yamanaka there? And most importantly, don't you have family back in Konoha?"

"Yes."

"That should give you plenty of reason to come back to Konoha."

"Whatever you say, I'm not going back."

"Why are you so against going home? Is there something wrong with you? Did you take a hit to the head or something?"

Ino paused, prolonging her answer, but Shikamaru cleared his throat, telling her to get a move on with her answer. She couldn't stall anymore. "I just don't want to go home."

Shikamaru grunted.

"I've finally made enough money to get my own place. It's not all that far from the pub, so I can still work there and go home without having to walk an hour."

He shook his head, clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction. "What's the point of getting a place? You're only going to—"

"You're being a jackass."

Shikamaru chuckled, smiling. That was sometimes he missed hearing every day.

"You're being a bigger jackass than usual, actually," she said, turning to take the stairs back down to the celebration.

She fumed as she descended the rickety, old stairs. The nerve of that guy! Since when did he become so pushy and…annoying. Last time she checked, the pushy and annoying title belonged to Ino and Ino only.

"Ino, Ino, Ino," Shikamaru chanted as he clomped down the steep stairs, trying not to fall face first. "Okay, I'm sorry for being a jerk. Before you walk away again, follow me."

"Again?" Ino felt her impatience boiling.

"It'll be for your benefit, trust me."

"I don't."

"Then, pretend for about twenty minutes."

Shikamaru took her hand, and despite wanting to rip her hand away and beating his head with her fists, she let him hold onto her as he dragged her up more stairs, leading to tunnel at the top of the cavern. Ino stopped, forcing Shikamaru to fall back on his butt.

"I'm not going in there."

"Didn't I tell you to trust me?"

"My mommy told me not to trust people that say 'trust me' a billion times over."

"Since when did you listen to your mother?"

"Since you led me to this ominous tunnel that has my death or a future panic attack written all over it."

Shikamaru barked out a huge laugh. "You think I'm going to kill you or something?"

"That's what Mom says."

"Can you just follow me? Like I said, it'll be for your benefit."

Ino let Shikamaru drag her into the black tunnel, ignoring her heart beat skyrocketing and the nervous sweat pouring from her skin. "How is a panic attack beneficial to me? Tell me, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru didn't answer.

Shining blue crystals imbedded in the cave walls dimly gleamed, acting as a trail to…wherever Shikamaru led her. The noise from the festival diminished into a low hum in the background as the two traveled further through the tunnel. Ino didn't mind Shikamaru's hand wrapped around her own when she had the beautiful blue lights there to distract her. Considering how fast Shikamaru tugged her through the tunnel, she couldn't examine the stone long enough to see what kind of crystal it was.

"Are you having a panic attack yet?"

Ino answered with a detached, "Nope."

"Good to hear."

A while longer, Shikamaru stopped, making Ino bump into his back. She held her breath and jumped back, releasing his hand.

"I want you to close your eyes."

"Not a chance."

"Then face me." Shikamaru faced her, taking her wrist and pulling her in front of him. Ino hated being man handle. Dragged around like a doll pissed her off the most, and Shikamaru damn well knew that. When she opened her mouth to yell at him, her voice simmered down when he placed her hands on her shoulders and started to push her, making her walk backwards.

"I swear if you walk me off a cliff, I'm bringing you down with me."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. You tell me. Why would you do it?"

"You've suddenly gained your confidence back, I see."

Ino kept quiet. She avoided eye contact, but she couldn't help but glower at the mocking smirk playing on his thin lips.

Frigid wind blew her hair in her face and whipped Shikamaru in the face. "You really are going to push me off a cliff, you bastard."

"Ino, I'm not pushing you off a damn cliff. Just turn around."

For the first time in four months, she stood on grass. If Shikamaru didn't stand behind her, she would've kissed the ground and probably rolled around in it. A metal gate the height of two Shikamaru's surrounded the grassy area, prohibiting anyone from being thrown off into the dark chasm below. In other words, it was damn near impossible for Shikamaru to take Ino by the ponytail and fling her off the cliff.

"How did you know this was here?"

"I've been here before. It's better during the day. You can see the ocean and the harbor perfectly from here."

"Then, why take me here now?"

"Well, one, civilians of Section 2 can only enter Section 1 only once a year, which just happens to be only tonight. Two, I want you to hit me, Ino."

"Huh?"

"Hit me," he repeated.

Was this a sort of prank?

"Why would I want to hit you?"

"You're frustrated."

"So that gives me a reason to hit you?"

"Why not?"

So, Ino socked him in the stomach. She noticed how the burden on her shoulders lifted slightly. The stress that built inside her dispersed with every punch she threw at him. Shikamaru just stood there, taking each blow with a straight face. He stared forward, through the chain-linked fence and into the darkness of the night as Ino socked him in the abdomen, sending him onto his back.

Ino collapsed to her knees and wiped the silent tears that flowed down her cheeks as the frustrations escaped her body and mind. She felt a hand on the top of her head as she leaned over to press her forehead against the cool grass, leaving her pouring tears puddle into the grass.

"I'm sorry." Shikamaru kept his eyes down on the grass when Ino looked up at him with makeup smeared across her face and red, swollen eyes. "I guess I don't understand what you're going through, and if you don't want to tell me, that's fine, but I hope you do know that being your teammate and friend, I am here."

Never in her life did Ino expect Shikamaru to be so heartfelt and almost…non-jackass-ish. She could die now, and she would die in peace knowing Shikamaru had a soft side to him. Now, the question was whether she should ruin this genuine moment of Shikamaru's sweetness, or let it continue? He did ruin their last moment….

Ino, even though her heart fluttered in despair and her mind told her not to do it, leaned into Shikamaru's chest and clutched to his shirt. She felt his arm wrap around her shoulder and pulled her closer to his chest. With the last of her tears running down her cheeks, she turned her face into his chest and mumbled, "Thank you."

She could only pray everything went up hill.

* * *

**Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing and alerting…and all that great stuff. **

** Muffin likes reviews. **


	14. Crawl: Monster

**My last update feels like it was forever ago, so I sucked up my drippy, runny nose and finally finished this chapter. If there are errors, I apologize in advanced. Also, it's a shorter chapter, but the next chapter is longer, so I hope that makes for this chapter. Have a good read. **

* * *

**14. Monster**

* * *

When Ino opened the door, Minako greeted her by clutching Ino by the collar and shaking her viciously. "Where have you two been? Sachiko was worried sick!"

"Minako, stop lying!" Sachiko shouted from the counter as she wiped down the counter even though no one worked the counter at all that night. Jin and his germ phobias… "You were the one worrying!"

"Shikamaru and I got lost." Technically, it was true. When they heard sirens wail in the cave, signaling the citizens of Section 2 to leave the premises, Shikamaru and Ino ignored it and continued to sit in the grassy patch for several awkward minutes of silence. Finally, when they heard the gates slam shut, they knew they couldn't go downstairs and cause a ruckus, so they climbed the tall fence and bounded from rock to rock, running along the cliffs.

With her tight yukata clinging around her ankles, Ino had to pull up the skirt and hold onto it as she bounded and leaped. Running around and releasing the chakra she kept in for months felt great on her deprived body.

Shikamaru assured Ino he knew the way back to Section 2. However, he didn't announce they were lost until they reached the harbor, and only then did he turn around with an embarrassed grin and said, "I screwed up." With a huff, Ino turned around and led them in the correct direction. The trip took about an hour to run through the mountain peaks, another hour to walk through the crowded, still partying streets of Section 2, and then they circled the streets as they tried to find the pesky pub, which was near the point of invisibility with the flickering blue sign turned off.

Shikamaru waved at the girls. "I'll see you later," Shikamaru said, smiling at Ino before dismissing himself. Ino waved and watched the door shut with a quiet thud.

"Are you two dating?" Minako blurted.

If it were someone other than Minako, Ino would have been surprised by the question. However, being Minako, who devoted her life to romance and soap opera-like drama, Ino paused at the stairs and shook her head with a warm smile on her face. "No," Ino said and before Minako could bombard her with any more questions, she scurried upstairs.

Sachiko sat in her bed when Ino slipped through the door and quietly shut it. Sachiko glanced from her book to Ino then went back to her book, obviously disinterested with the arrival of her roommate.

As Ino gathered clean clothes to change into, Ino noticed Sachiko's scarlet yukata clumped in the corner, which reminded Ino about Hiromi's comment about her roommate's family. For the past two weeks, Ino occasionally thought about it, and the thought always left her annoyingly curious.

What happened to Sachiko's parents? Thinking about her friends back in Konoha, she knew all the stories. Did her brother kill their parents? That's definitely a possibility. Did her parents parish while trying to seal a humongous, tailed demon into an infant? The chances of that ever happening (again) had to be a one in a million.

"Did you have a good time?" Sachiko, once again, looked up from her novel with inattentive eyes. "I'm a little peeved Shikamaru stole you for most of the time."

Ino shrugged and tried to ignore Sachiko's last statement. "I've been to better festivals."

"What did Shikamaru want?"

Ino held back her sneer. "He tried to convince me to go back to Konoha. The usual, you know," In said as she finished gathering her clothes. "He's stubborn."

"Like you."

Ino hummed at the comment and left the room to change in the bathroom. As she changed, Ino ran her fingers over the faint scars that smoothed over after long weeks of smearing lotion on the rough, healing skin. Her shoulders' scars that criss-crossed along her shoulder blades were only visible in the light, thanks to the healing. The rings on her thigh still felt craggy, and the skin turned an ugly color of brown. No matter what Ino did with those scars, nothing worked.

"Sachiko, can you answer me something?" Ino asked when she returned to the room. Sachiko sighed and closed her book, after folding the corner of a page to mark where she left. "When Minako and I went shopping, a storeowner said something about your parents. I was wondering what happened to them."

The other woman chuckled and set her book on her nightstand. "Was it Hiromi that said this?"

"Er, yes."

"She's an old family friend, just so you know."

Ino nodded. Everything makes sense now that she cleared that up.

"Right now, we're split up. My brother, who is a ninja, received ordered to Amekagure for some stupid undercover mission," she said as she shook her head in disproval. "It was stupid because he just came back from Konoha."

Ino, subconsciously, made a disdained frown. "We're not on friendly terms with your shinobi."

"What?"

"Nothing." Ino almost punched herself in the face.

"A few weeks after he left, my mother died of a heart attack or something like that." Or, Ino thought, her brother could have returned and while her mother slept, he slipped some poison into her water or her breakfast. Ino's theory about her brother killing Sachiko's family seemed better the longer Sachiko explained her family. "My father doesn't know about my mother's death because he's been at sea for the past three months, and usually, he writes a couple weeks before coming back, and I haven't received any mail, so he's either lost at sea, dead, or the fishing season is longer than usual."

Ino opened her mouth to console Sachiko, but Minako burst through the door with a floral apron wrapped around her petite body. "Who wants cookies?" she yelled. "I just took them out of the oven."

"No one wants cookies at two in the morning, Minako," Sachiko griped.

Minako ignored her and said, "They'll be done cooling soon, so don't fall asleep!" then she left.

"So, when you father comes home, what'll you tell him?"

"Mom's dead, and she has been for a while now. I can't lie to him and say she's on a business trip when she's a stay-at-home mother. He'd figure it out eventually, right?"

Sachiko's response reminded Ino of the world she left and its belief of how one should not create close relationships with others due to its hazardous occupations. Shinobi danced on the border of life and death, and anyone close would feel intense loss when the shinobi happened to teeter into death. Thankfully, Ino had yet to endure the intense emotions of losing a loved one, and she hoped it stayed that way.

"Can we please stop talking about my family? It's getting me depressed," she said with an embarrassed smile.

"Yeah, but one more question."

"Hm?"

"How did you get your scar?"

"Oh, this?" Sachiko rubbed the ill-defined scar that ran down from the corner of her mouth to her chin. "Yusuke, my brother, decided to use me for training one day, and he promised he wouldn't hit me…. I haven't forgiven him yet."

"Cookies!" Minako kicked open the door with a plate full of cookies in her hands.

* * *

Shikamaru wandered through the deserted streets late in the evening—or early in the morning, he guessed. It surprised him no one still partied until the sunset rose like people did in Konoha. Back home, people set off fireworks at six in the morning, which were followed by a loud "WOOO!" If Shikamaru went to specifics, those jerks were drunken men named Asuma and Genma, and sometimes Kakashi, who Genma forced out of bed to shoot off fireworks and piss off everyone in the village.

Streamers and lost children's toys scattered across the sidewalks as he continued to walk through the silent village. The clock read five-thirty AM when Shikamaru decided to flop out of bed. He couldn't sleep when he arrived at Jin's house.

He never slept these days. He just thought too much. Sometimes, he thought about his current problems, or random, hypothetical scenarios popped into his head. When that happened, he slipped out of bed to wander around, not caring about the time. In Konoha, he went to Ino because she lived the closest out of his friends, and she surprisingly listen him—probably because she was too tired to talk, so she half-heartedly listen, and sometimes, she supplied him with decent advice.

Shikamaru walked past the Pub, wandering if anyone would be awake. He could go wait in the kitchen until Ino woke up, so he could talk to her. Jin gave him a key for the place, but still, waiting in the kitchen seemed creepy and somewhat…stalkerish.

The wind began to pick up, whistling as it passed through to tight alleyways and buildings. Shikamaru turned around to walk back to Jin's house, but then paused when he thought he heard a distant scream echo from the Pub. 'Must be the wind', Shikamaru thought and continued to walk.

* * *

"Ino, wake up."

She felt warm air brush her cheek as the voice spoke. She felt the pressure of the person's hands pushing down her mattress as the person leaned over her. Ino wanted to keep sleeping. What did this person want?

"Ino."

"Go away," she mumbled. No one will ruin her sleep.

"Ino."

"No."

Ino undoubtedly recognized the voice, but she couldn't put a face to this deep voice. Could it belong to Konan or Takao? She couldn't remember what their voices sounded like. If it happened to be one of them, why would they be in her room? It had to be an emergency if they needed to come into her room and wake her up.

A dim figure hovered above Ino as she gradually opened her eyes, letting them grow used to the dim, morning light. As her eyes adjusted, she peeked over at Sachiko, who slept with her back turned to Ino, and she quietly snored with a slow, calming rhythm despite the person talking in a normal, projected voice. Sachiko usually was a light sleeper.

The person above her wore a black coat with a pattern scattered along the black fabric, but she couldn't see because of her blurry, tired vision. She noticed the pale skin of the person, and he held something in his hand, but she couldn't see the object.

Her eyes trailed up the black sleeve of the person.

The insane grin gave the identity of the man instantly. Ino's eyes widened as she watched him raise a kunai to her throat, pressing the cold blade against her jugular. She felt the blade slide across her skin and warm blood spill down her neck.

She sucked in a deep breath and screamed.

"Ino!"

Sachiko wrapped an arm around Ino's shoulders, sitting her up as she screamed for what seemed like no particular reason. Ino pressed her fingers against her throat and looked around the room. Where did he go? No blood strained her shirt, and most certainly, no blood spilled from her throat.

"Are you okay?" Sachiko took the panic-stricken Ino into her arms.

"I'm fine," Ino mumbled.

What happened?

* * *

**Can I say that I have clue where I've been for the past month. I always thought my last update was like a week ago until I logged in today and found out my last update was April 22. Holy moly? Where have I been for the past month? **

**Anyway, thank you for everything! **

**Next update will (unless I decide to get lost again) be next weekend. **

**Muffin likes reviews. **


	15. Crawl: Bump in the Night

**15. Bump in the Night**

* * *

_Watch out. We have strong language. _

* * *

The sudden wind blew the fog away from the mountains as he marched to the small cabin before him. Curiously, he scanned the surroundings, wondering if the Raikage already came out for his daily morning stroll, or if shinobi arrived to start the day's work.

No one.

Figures since the moon still illuminated the early morning sky, but in the distant horizon, he could see the rays of sunshine peeking over the hills.

"I know you're out there," a voice boomed from inside the cabin. "I have other chores to do, you know. So, please come in." His client annoyed him to no end. He was constantly busy and impatient, opposite of him, but his bitterness was probably due to the fact his client's life ticked away. Unfortunately, for himself, he had a longer lifespan, which allowed him to be carefree.

He hastily opened the door. His client sat on the couch with his bare feet propped on the coffee table. His head lolled to the side as he dozed off.

"What do you need me for this time?"

"Didn't I tell you the last time I summoned you?"

He cracked a grin at his client. For here on, there was no way he'd be bored.

* * *

The sun beat heavily on the Sakura's bare shoulders as she and her squad trudged through the Oto's deserts. Even for Oto's dry landscape and year round heat, the heat today was unnatural…being only the beginning of spring and all….

Sakura's skin burned and ached as sunburn slowly etched into her exposed skin. However, looking at Kakashi and Naruto, she believed the two men's misery bettered her own. Both were dressed in their usual dark, long sleeved shirts and their dark pants while she sported a tank top and shorts. Kakashi must be baking underneath his mask. Even though he did his best to disguise being uncomfortable and fatigued, Sakura noticed the perspiration soaking his clothes and a slight limp in his gait. Opposite of Kakashi, Naruto complained…loudly. He openly complained while everyone—being used to Naruto's loud mouth—ignored him and continued to walk.

"Kakashi, how much longer do we have?" Naruto bellowed as he scanned the landscape to find any source of shade or water. Sakura offered her canteen to him, which he rejected by shaking his head while mumbling, "Don't worry about me."

"Well, by the looks of everything…we have a while."

"I'm going to die."

"You're going to be Hokage soon. You can't die."

The fact of Naruto becoming Hokage still didn't click correctly in Sakura's mind. Or maybe the fact _she_, of all people, is the girlfriend of the future Hokage. Being in such close relations to the Hokage, the highest ninja rank, seemed unreal to Sakura. Well, the idea shouldn't be weird, considering she was the apprentice of the fifth Hokage, Tsunade, but being an apprentice differed from being the girlfriend of the Hokage.

"Holy! What the hell is that?"

"It's a mosquito, Naruto," Kakashi said in a deadpan manner.

"Who's been feeding them growth hormones?"

Sakura shook her head as she watched Naruto take off his left sandal and batted at the insect, which to Sakura's disbelief was half the size of her face. She could only imagine what a swarm of those mosquitoes would do to a person.

Anyway, with Hokages still as the topic, ever since the day Tsunade informed Sakura about her missing best friend, Tsunade gave her weekly updates with little to no information. Fortunately, Shikamaru found Ino. Unfortunately, his reports lacked in detail, which killed Sakura. She needed to know Ino's conditions. Was she hurt, mentally, physically, or both?

It was apparent that Sakura missed Ino. Her apartment's emptiness sent Sakura running to Naruto's apartment and crawling into his bed, despite him complaining he couldn't have sex, and he needed to wake up in the early morning. She just curled against his warm body and continued to think about her friend.

She truly missed coming home to hear Ino tunelessly singing along with the radio. She missed seeing the stove boiling water, or the microwave heating leftovers as Ino cooked dinner for the both of them. Really, Sakura missed Ino.

Sakura spotted a wooden sign with two arrows pointing in different directions. Kakashi began to walk in the direction of the left arrow, the arrow with "Iwakagure" carved into the wood. On the right arrow, Sakura read "Kumogakure". She glanced at the two men who walked several paces before her. Maybe…

"Sakura, you're not thinking about going to Kumo to find Ino, are you?" Kakashi gazed over his shoulder, catching the rosette in the act of stepping in the direction of Kumogakure. "If you go against Tsunade's orders, she'll beat you to death."

Naruto popped up—Sakura couldn't get over how fast Naruto has gotten—beside her and grabbed her wrist to pull her back to the group. "You're not going to find Ino. It's Shikamaru's job, remember?"

"Shikamaru will take care of it," Kakashi reasoned, still walking ahead of Naruto and Sakura, who tossed and tumbled through the dirt as they fought over Sakura's wrists. "He's a big boy; I'm sure he'll know what to do."

Sakura kneed Naruto in the stomach, but his grasp around her wrist only tightened. "You guys are horrible!" she cried, forfeiting the wrestling match and allowing Naruto to haul her body over his shoulder.

As Naruto caught up with Kakashi, with Sakura still over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, Sakura heard Kakashi chuckle and mumble, "It's amazing how much they rubbed off on each other."

* * *

For the past few days after her mind blowing "dream", Ino couldn't fathom how her throat remained smooth and unscathed. The texture of her throat—much less, having her throat intact—had Ino believing nothing happened that night, but she knew she saw him and felt his presence hovering over her. She felt that cold blade press against her skin. She felt the stinging burn as the blade sliced her skin, but…there was nothing.

Because she took a week off from the restaurant, Ino had more free time on her hands than she liked. Ino spent her time in her bed, rubbing her throat. Shikamaru came to visit her a few times, but after a few moments of being unfocused and unwilling to hold a conversation, he left shortly after coming. Sometimes, he came back from the market with fresh fruits for everyone, or maybe Ino's favorite soda.

"Ino, are you feeling all right?" Minako asked as she plopped a cherry into her mouth. "You haven't been the same since the festival." She paused for a moment to chew her cherry and allowed Ino to respond. Ino just took a cherry and popped it into her mouth, unwilling to answer her friend's question. "Is everything all right between you and Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru and her, all right? Ino nearly laughed at the concept of her and Shikamaru being "all right." Ever since he stepped foot in Cloud, they weren't "all right." Ino—assuming it was safe to say—hated him. She hated him for getting in her way of total oblivion from the Konoha world.

"Did he do something to you during the festival?"

During the festival, she didn't know what went through Shikamaru's head when he decided to allow her to pulverize him. He said she was frustrated. Ino thought she did a decent job trying to mask her frustrations towards her situation. Minako and Sachiko seemed to think her being jittery and paranoid was normal. Well, Minako and Sachiko didn't matter in the subject of Shikamaru, and they definitely didn't matter when it came to the topic of knowing who Ino was, which was also a subject Shikamaru excelled in.

The attitude Ino put forth the past few months wasn't Ino. Even before a certain night, Ino acted bitter towards the crew. Minako and Sachiko, especially Minako who tried to befriend Ino when she first arrived, grew accustomed to the animosity that was Ino. Shikamaru, however, knew the confident, out spoken woman that _really_ was Ino. Ino couldn't imagine what he thought when he first saw her. He spent the last few weeks with the Cloud Ino, who was miserable and mentally beaten into the ground. By his questioning gazes and the occasional look of disappointment, Ino knew Shikamaru couldn't adapt to the new Ino.

"So, what'd he do?"

"Nothing," Ino mumbled.

"So, he didn't confess his love to you, did he?"

"Excuse me?"

The words "Shikamaru" and "love" couldn't be in the same sentence. He hated most women because he believes they're tyrannical, and he detests most men for being asses to the said women. The only thing Shikamaru loved would be being lazy and playing his stupid game with Asuma.

"He was supposed to confess his love to you at the festival."

"We're talking about Shikamaru."

"Shikamaru is a loving person."

"You don't know him like I do, Minako. Shikamaru doesn't love anything besides being lazy and shogi. Occasionally, he'll like sex, but that's only because he's a man."

"I don't see what you're complaining about—shogi is a very fun game."

"You're missing the point."

Minako ate another cherry and offered Ino the bowl of cherries. She took two and popped one into her mouth. "What you're saying is that Shikamaru can't love another person?"

"Physically impossible."

"He loves you doesn't he?"

"Did he tell you this?" The thought of Shikamaru loving Ino did send her pleasant vibes, but only because she, for once in a long while, felt important and wanted. If anyone told Ino they needed her or loved her, she'd feel what she felt at this moment.

"Duh, or I wouldn't be telling you this."

"Right. Anyway, I'm going to go get dressed."

The hallway was abnormally busy when Ino ascended the stairs. She heard rushed footsteps and hurried voices along with slamming doors. Takao flashed by her whilst slipping on a shirt. Ino had to resist tripping him. There'd only be hell to pay afterwards, which Ino wanted to avoid.

"Excuse me, Ino," a shirtless Konan mumbled as he squeezed past Ino. "Please excuse Takao and his rudeness. We're in a hurry." With that, he hurried down the stairs, trying to slip on his shirt while trying not to fall down the stairs.

Ino's room was silent when she closed the door behind her. Jin forced Sachiko to go grocery shopping, which left the room eerily silent.

The room didn't have a closet, so Sachiko and Ino were forced to fold their clothes and stuff their belongings into one drawer of a tiny dresser. Ino, after trying to strategically placing her clothes in the drawer so everything fit but eventually giving up, decided to throw her clothes in a corner of her side of the room or on her bed, and sometimes, she stuffed clothes in her pillowcase. As a gift, Ino gave her drawer to Sachiko.

Ino snagged clothes off the floor, taking a sniff of each clothing and tossing the clothes on her bed if they didn't smell clean enough. For those that smelled decent, Ino hung them on her shoulder and continued her search for clean smelling clothes, just in case she found a shirt that smelled a bit better.

Desperate for pants, Ino rummaged through her pile of dirty clothes that nestled behind the door. She sorted through Sachiko's and her own clothing while searching for bottoms to wear for her shift. As she threw her clothes onto her bed, a kunai flew out from underneath her shirt and clattered on the floor.

"What the hell is a kunai doing in here?" Ino pondered, picking the weapon up and inspecting it.

Tsunade clearly instructed Ino to limit her weapons on this mission. The weapons she brought were hidden in one of Jin's cabinets in his office, so what was a kunai doing in her room? Unless she happened to sleep walk downstairs and grab one of her kunai, Ino couldn't figure out how a kunai showed up in her dirty clothes pile.

With closer inspection, Ino looked for an "IY" inscribed into the handle of the weapon. Nothing.

If the kunai wasn't hers, then who the hell—

"Ino?" Minako knocked on the door. "You need to clock in soon!"

"I'll be there in a sec." Ino grabbed her backpack from underneath her bed and pulled out her holster. She wrapped the belt around her waist and tucked the kunai into the pouch. She changed her plain T-shirt and yoga pants into a tunic with leggings just so she could hide the small bulge at her hip.

Then, she went downstairs to clock in.

* * *

On the weekends, the pub filled up fast. On this particular night, Jin dragged spare tables from storage, set the tables up outside and lit lanterns to light up scene. Minako volunteered to serve the customers who sat outside with the condition Ino take out the trash after their shift. Ino agreed bitterly.

As her slow shift ended, Ino grabbed the overflowing trash bag and hauled it to the dumpster, carrying disgusting sack on her back.

"This is the last time I'm ever going to take out the trash," Ino muttered as she flipped the garbage bag over the rim of the dumpster. As the bag crashed at the bottom of the dumpster, her ears perked at the quiet tapping creeping towards her. She noticed a shadow engulfing her own as the tapping grew louder and louder, closer and closer.

"What the fuck?" the man exclaimed as Ino whipped around with her weapon pointed at the man's face. He stepped back. "Where the hell did you get that? I must've dropped it."

"You did come to the pub the other night," Ino breathed, tightening her grip around the weapon. The narrow handle felt awkward in her hand. What was the proper way to hold a kunai? "You really did try killing me."

"Nah, Blondie. I wanted to scare you. You didn't hear me explain how I'm going to kill you, did you? Cause that's what I was fucking doing, you know. I didn't really cut you, obviously, you dumbass. Anyway…do you wanna know how I'm going to kill you?" An insane grin slowly played onto his pale face as he stepped toward Ino, causing her to take a step back.

Ino's knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the kunai handle. For the first time since that night almost three months ago, she gazed at this man face-to-face, and this time, he wasn't going to let her go until she was dead. She had nightmares about the same maniacal grin he had on his face as he stood in front of Ino.

He shifted the giant three-pronged scythe on his shoulder as they stood there in the silence. During this time, she racked her brain for the proper grip of the kunai, and she tried to steady her hands from shaking.

The man grinned wider as he noticed the kunai shaking violently. "You're scared?"

Damn it. Could she defend herself with just a single kunai? Yes, all great shinobi had the capability of killing a hundred men with a single weapon. Ino spun the handle between her fingers, holding the weapon properly in her hand with the readiness to finally fight. "Nope."

"You're a kunoichi, eh? I never realized….This will be interesting." The silver haired man unsheathed his scythe and whipped it past Ino's face so fast; she felt the wind blow her hair away from her face. "You're a lot cuter with your hair out of your face."

"Why are you back?" she mumbled. Ino blocked the oncoming attack with kunai and pushed the scythe back to his owner.

"Letting you live cuts my payment down by half…that fucking bastard. So, I need to kill you to earn my payment, and my client just can't fucking stand that you're alive. So, I just have to try to kill you until, you know, I kill you. First, I'll cut your throat." He swung his scythe at her. She moved to block the blades, but from the corner of her eye, she noticed him pulling the scythe back and going in for a punch. With a slight adjustment of her head, his fist connected with the dumpster. Ino crouched and swept a leg around, sweeping him off his feet. As he began to fall, Ino pushed off the ground with her kunai erect and aimed for his face.

"Then, I'll let you slowly bleed." He blocked the kunai with the handle of his scythe. In the same move, he pushed Ino away. "For a woman, you're strong, I supposed. By the way, before I kill you, my name is Hidan."

* * *

**Pardon the language in this chapter, but it is Hidan we're talking about. I almost lost motivation in this chapter, but I think it turned out better than I thought it would. **

**Anyway, thank you to those who reviewed, favorite, and all that good stuff. Also, thanks to those who just read. **

**HAVE A GOOD DAY. **

**Muffin enjoys the reviews. **


	16. Crawl: Unwilling

**16. Unwilling**

* * *

_Watch out.  
S T R O N G  
L A N G U A G E !_

* * *

Her sensei taught her to hide her emotions from her enemies and become a ruthless killer in their eyes. Intimidate them. Make the opponent second-guess their actions even if it were just a split second. The slightest hint of hesitation is all Ino needed to swoop in and take the enemy out. But, as Ino faced her opponent, she didn't know if she wanted to fight back or bow to him, begging for mercy.

She needed to fight back, of course. She needed to fight for all the women he raped and slaughtered and ensure herself that she didn't end up like them.

Ino sent the man her coldest glare and the cockiest smirk she could conjure. "You really think you're going to kill me?"

"I'm guessing you haven't heard of my previous victims, hm?"

When Ino locked eyes with Hidan, she already knew he saw past her confident disguise and noticed her hesitation in her own actions. She was the unfortunate soul that would be hacked to pieces because she wasn't confident in her own actions and thoughts. Ino's smirk dropped.

"I always kill my targets," he bragged while he inspected the blades of his weapon. "Just because you're a ninja doesn't make you special, you know. But, because _you are_ a ninja, I'm just going to have more fun killing you." He killed all those innocent women. He raped those women and left them for dead. She knew what those women experienced during their times of excruciating pain. Ino knew their thoughts of wanting to die at that moment.

That was then Ino knew she needed to fight back, strive for survival. Asuma taught her that, and he would be disappointed in her if she buckled down with defeat. He didn't train her to become a failure. Ino clutched her kunai and took in a deep breath.

Hidan charged, swinging his weapon at her face. She ducked under the scythe and listened to the ear-piercing screech as the blades scrape against the concrete walls. Ino lodged the kunai into his abdomen. Then, she ripped the weapon out of the new wound and aimed for a new target, his heart. Before her kunai could reach his bare chest, he sprang out of the way.

Ino wiped the beading sweat at her hairline and then sucked in another deep breath. _Where is Shikamaru when I need him? _Ino thought as she eyed Hidan, who glared at her as he prodded his new wound. He scrutinized every move. If she took a step to the side, he immediately adjusted to it, making sure she stayed in his line of sight.

From the corner of her eye, Ino noticed a flash of pale yellow dart across the roof and spring onto the neighboring wall of a skyscraper. The second she looked away, Hidan came swinging. Ino quickly back-pedaled, dodging the blades by millimeters.

Hidan cried in surprised pain as her clone came from behind him and wedged a kunai in his right shoulder, causing him to drop his scythe. Ino watched him kick her clone in the chest, dispelling the clone.

"You bitch!" Hidan's deadly glower zeroed in on Ino. He picked up his scythe with his left and awkwardly threw the weapon at her. Ino quickly sent chakra to her feet and climbed onto the wall. She ran across the wall as the scythe followed her every step.

Suddenly, Ino couldn't control her chakra, and she slipped down the concrete wall, hitting the ground hard. She quickly curled into a ball and covered her head as a rain of punches and hard kicks fell upon her. "I'm going to hack you to pieces! And you know the best part, Blondie? You'll be fucking alive while I'm doing it!" he cried as he continued to supply the hard jabs, which left Ino breathless and on the verge of unconsciousness.

Through the pained tears running down her face, she noticed Hidan pick up his scythe, which he dropped to beat her half to death. The barrage of punches ceased as his scythe disappeared from her sight. She rolled onto her back the moment he raised his weapon over his head. "I'm done playing these fucking games! Die already!"

As Hidan began the motion to chop her into pieces, Ino closed her eyes, ready for impending death.

She'll never see her family again, and they would live life wondering what happened to Ino. Mom will run the flower shop by herself, and Dad wouldn't have a partner anymore. Sakura wouldn't have a roommate, and Shikamaru won't have a friend to talk to when he couldn't sleep.

The pain never came. She heard Hidan grunted and cursed, causing Ino to open her eyes. Her eyes met one of the blades hovering millimeters above her face.

"Ino, are you all right?" She recognized Shikamaru's voice anywhere. "Sorry I couldn't come sooner," he said from behind Hidan, who, thankfully, stood paralyzed due to Shikamaru's shadow technique.

Ino kicked Hidan's scythe out of his hands and retreated behind Shikamaru. She wanted to collapse to her knees and sob into her bloody hands, but she couldn't considering her rapist and the murderer of three innocent women stood before her. Also, Shikamaru stood there. So, Ino balled her shaking hands into fists and kept her tears back.

"You damn punk, what the hell did you do to me?" Hidan bellowed as he struggled to move. A finger couldn't budge thanks to Shikamaru's binds on Hidan's shadow. Ino turned to leave, but Hidan stopped her. "Bitch, if you leave, I'll find you! I can't stop chasing until you're dead. You will die, Blondie!"

"Hidan, that's enough. You're attracting too much attention." A cloaked man materialized on the roof of the Pub, startling the two Konoha shinobi. Ino turned to face the mysterious man in order to guard Shikamaru's back. Ino squinted to see his face, but the cloak's hood along with the darkness masked his face. She, however, saw the man lift a hand and point to her and Shikamaru. "Konoha, release him," he commanded.

Shikamaru chuckled at the order. "How do I know he won't attack?" he questioned.

"I assure you he won't attack. He is under my control."

Ino interrupted Shikamaru from responding. She stepped forward, looking at the cloaked figure. "He will, however, come after me in the future, yes?" Ino asked as she continued to squint at the masked man, trying to see his face.

He answered in monotone, as if he were bored with the subject. "Hidan's mission is to execute the woman he left alive."

"Damn straight, and I'm not getting paid until you're dead!"

"No asked you to speak, Hidan."

"Excuse me?"

"Call off his mission, or we'll be here for a while," Shikamaru said as he tightened his stance and increased his hold on Hidan's shadow.

"If we stay here any longer, I'll kill every person in this building, which is unfortunate considering the Pub is very popular tonight. I've never seen so many people here before…." He's been to the Pub before. Ino scavenged her brain for memories of a cloaked man sitting around during her shift. She'd remember if someone in a cloak showed up since no one wore a cloak. Maybe he didn't wear a cloak when he came to the Pub, which made the process of discovering his identity truly aggravating.

Ino nudged Shikamaru. "Let him go, Shikamaru." The thought of Sachiko and Minako dying in her place wasn't right, and if they died, Ino couldn't live with the thought that two more innocent women died. No, thinking that everyone in the building was endangered churned Ino's stomach. She couldn't have that.

Shikamaru glanced over his shoulder. "If I let him go, there will be no further harm to anyone in this _village_, then."

"Done," the man quickly said. "Now, let him go."

"However," Shikamaru continued with a chuckle. "I don't trust you. If I do let him go, how do I know you won't kill the villagers?'

"I wouldn't do such a thing," the mysterious man assured. "At this moment, genocide wouldn't bet he smartest idea. I do sense other shinobi coming in, don't you? I have a feeling they're ANBU."

Ino broadened her senses and tracked the low chakra levels of three people stalking through the streets and bounding along the rooftops of the skyscrapers as they closed in on their designated site. Ino wondered, thinking aloud, "If we hold Hidan, we've caught our murderer, and Cloud doesn't have to worry about their people being killed." If they waited a few minutes longer, ANBU could take Hidan away for questioning and ultimately, due to his past deeds, executed.

"You catch Hidan, yes, but you have me to worry about. If you turn in my comrade, then I will kill everyone on this _street. _I believe we have a proposition now. Let go of Hidan, and I will let the villagers live. I, nor Hidan, will touch a single hair on these people…ever. Turn him in, however, and I'll hill everyone."

"The ANBU won't stand for that," Ino rebutted.

"Fine, turn Hidan in, but don't blame me when everyone dies before the ANBU arrive. I don't understand why you're arguing, Ino. Give me Hidan, and everyone lives."

Was Hidan's arrest worth the lives of one-hundred people? He killed innocent women, and Ino assumed he killed several more people before those three women. Then again, if Shikamaru releases Hidan and he goes off, he'll only be after her.

Peeking through the small window in the door, Ino noticed Minako trudge downstairs in her P.J's. She rounded the corner to go to the kitchen for her nighty glass of water before bed. Ino sighed and glanced at Shikamaru, who struggled to main his jutsu. He couldn't keep the technique up any long. Once again, she sighed. "You promise nothing will happen to the people here?"

"I promise."

"But, you can't promise that you won't come after me?"

"No, you're wanted dead."

Ino winced at his words as she nudged Shikamaru, who released his technique and almost collapsed, but she supported his weight as he began to fall back. She listened to Hidan grunt as he was granted the ability to move again. He placed his weapon on his unwounded shoulder and walked past Ino. "You'll see me again," he promised before vanishing in the shadows, along with the shrouded man.

"We let him get away, Ino," Shikamaru mumbled as he set himself on the ground. He wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

"Would you rather have innocent civilians die?"

"No, but now, they're after you. What do they want anyway?"

Ino shrugged and lied, "I have no idea." Hidan, the man who…took advantage of her, needed to kill Ino the first time around, but considering she still lived, she threw off someone's plans. She couldn't guess what those plans were, but knowing she is wanted dead meant those plans can't be carried on until she died…. At least, that is what Ino thought.

She sensed the Kumo shinobi draw near the pub as she saw Minako come out of the kitchen. Ino saw Minako glance out the window and paused there to stare at Ino, who imagined she looked like she just wrestled a tiger. Minako set down her water and stepped outside, closing the door quietly behind her. "Ino, what happened here?"

For the first time, Ino acknowledged her surroundings. The dumpster sported a giant dent from his punch, and the walls crumbled due to the scythe constantly banging on the concrete as Hidan whipped that thing around, and blood stained the dirt she stood on. Next to the blood, she noticed a clump off white strings littered along the ground. Ino gathered the strings, which felt soft between her fingers, and held them at eye level. Dropping the "strings", she reached back to grab her hair but instead, she grabbed air.

Hidan must have cut her hair when she ducked under the scythe…. That bastard!

* * *

"Is everything okay?" An ANBU jumped from the roof of the pub, which caused Minako to squeal and cling to the door handle.

"Yes," Shikamaru responded, answering for Ino. "At least for the most part," he added when he watched Ino gathered her hacked blonde locks and chanted incoherent lines that sounded like, "Why did this happen to me?"

Shikamaru couldn't imagine what happened to Ino before she went missing. Considering how bad those two men wanted her dead, she must've caused some serious issues with the wrong people. What did she do that made those men want her dead?

"You're the shinobi from Konoha?"

"Yes. You're here for surveillance, I presume?" Shikamaru asked. He wondered when the Raikage would send the ANBU squad after Shikamaru sent numerous letters to him, asking for a surveillance team right away. "Keep an eye out for a man in a black cloak and a silver haired man wielding a scythe. The latter shouldn't be difficult to spot." He glanced at Ino, who curled into a ball and appeared to be crying over her lost locks, and wondered if she wanted him to tell the ANBU those men were just here. "Those two were just here a few minutes ago. I'd like you to track them the best you can."

"Cloud ANBU are famous for our tracking abilities."

"Then, don't disappoint me," Shikamaru said, turning his attention towards Ino.

"Before I go, Lord Raikage told me to inform you two to go to the investigation department tomorrow. From there, they'll explain what they want."

"Understood," he said, then walked up to Ino and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ino, are you okay?"

"No!" Ino cried, throwing her cut locks into the air. "I want that asshole found! I want him dead!"

"_Hello!_ Can someone freaking give me an explanation?"

* * *

Minako and Sachiko gawked at Ino and Shikamaru after Ino's explanation of her story with Shikamaru's added details from his side of the story, like when Tsunade called him to his office that Sunday morning and giving him orders to immediately leave the village to go find Ino. As Shikamaru spoke, Ino listened intently since he never informed her about his story to this situation.

Ino reported her times of receiving the mission and surveillance of the Pub, noting nothing happened until that night she met Hidan for the first time. She lied and told the four that they fought each other, but he escaped before she could apprehend him, and she spent two weeks searching for him.

Leaning against the counter with a mug of coffee in his hand, Jin chuckled at the girls' reaction. Shikamaru smirked as Minako's jaw dropped when Ino pulled out her hitae-ate and her various weapons from her backpack she hid the Jin's office.

Minako's shocked daze ceased as she suddenly jabbed a finger in Jin's direction. "You knew about this, Jin!" she accused. "Are you kidding me?"

Minako couldn't be that upset by Ino being a shinobi, right? Ino stopped tying her hitae-ate when Minako focused a glare on her. Maybe she was pissed….

"I hired her, stupid," Jin said, chuckling even more as Minako crossed her arms and pouted like a child. "Don't be mad about Ino being a shinobi. She has been spending the last five months here trying to protect your life. You don't want to end up like the other three, do you?"

"No."

Ino never wanted to receive a letter from Jin stating Minako or Sachiko went missing and turns up murdered like those other women. The thought agitated her nerves. Ino knew what she needed to do to prevent them from being kidnapped and murdered, and the idea opposed to her goals.

Interrupting Jin in the middle of his chuckling, she said, "Because those two want me—"

Konan lugged himself into the main room, rubbing his tired eyes with the side of his fist. His coal hair stood at the top of his head, pointing in all directions as if he tossed in this sleep throughout the night. "Have any of you seen my toothbrush?" When he caught sight of Minako, he stomped over to her and leaned in close. "I swear, Minako, if you took my toothbrush to clean the toilet again, I will—"

Minako slapped a hand on his forehead and pushed the taller man away from her. "I didn't take your damned toothbrush this time, Konan! Oh, and get this! Ino is a shin…shinbee…. She's a ninja!"

Konan laughed at the news as he walked out of the kitchen, rubbing his hand along the red mark that formed on his forehead. "Right," he said, chuckling lightly, "That's almost as believable as me being one."

"As I was saying," Ino continued after she waited for Konan to leave the room, "I'm leaving. After last night, I decided I should back to Konoha. Then, you all will be safe."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Shikamaru turn his head to watch her face from the corner of his eye. Ino kept her eyes on the three people in front of her. A sullen tension swept over the room as Ino's news sunk into Minako and Sachiko. Jin nodded his head and sipped his coffee, knowing her decision beforehand. A pang in her chest caused Ino to feel terrible about leaving the crew to protect themselves, but leaving could benefit everyone. Ino wasn't much of a risk taker—well, she couldn't remember if she was back in Konoha, but as she sat in the kitchen of the Blue Pub, she wasn't—so taking the risk to move back to Konoha was a big risk Ino wasn't willing to take.

* * *

_Ino has finally complied and decided to return home. Further information shall be given upon arrival. _

_-Shikamaru _

* * *

**Muffin likes review...and favorites, alerts, etc., etc. :)  
Have a good day. **


	17. Crawl: Runaway

**17. Runaway**

* * *

While Shikamaru watched his teammate lug her body along the mountain wall, he almost felt sympathetic…almost. His emotions were blocked by the excited tingles that circulated through his body since he finally won the war between Ino and him. Despite Shikamaru achieving nothing when he tried to convince Ino to return home, she finally decided to go back. If the man named Hidan didn't promise to kill Ino, Shikamaru would have shook Hidan's hand and thanked him, maybe even hugged him for persuading (for the better lack of a word) Ino into returning.

After announcing Ino planned to return to Konoha, Sachiko didn't take the news very well, which surprised Shikamaru since she seemed to be an individual who would stay calm and collected. If it were anyone to storm out of the room, Shikamaru guessed Minako to be the one. Minako, oddly, accepted such grave news. She jumped up from her seat and ran out of the Pub in the PJ's while screaming something about buying a goodbye present. It amazed everyone how the young woman could have such energy despite the time being roughly six in the morning and being sleep deprived since the five of them stayed up all night while Ino explained her situation.

Ino left without soling Sachiko, who locked herself in their room, and dragged Shikamaru away with her, saying something about going to the Investigation Department. Suddenly, they were on a mission to give the identities of the two men—really, one man because they couldn't see the face of the prick in the cloak.

"After this, we're packing up and going home," Ino mumbled as she pushed her body off the rocky wall and attempted to walk without the support. However, the depression of leaving her friends and the large weight of Shikamaru's victory beating down on her shoulder (insert thumbs up and a victory dance here) pushed Ino back against the mountain. Ino appeared massively fatigued and drained.

"You're talking to Sachiko when we go back to pack, right?" Shikamaru asked. Ino, from the first time Shikamaru saw her about two months ago, changed for what seemed the better. Her eyes remained dull and lifeless as if she were someone who lost a loved one or a precious item, or as if, she carried no motivation or excitement. However, forgetting her dead gaze, color returned to her face, and even though he'd never admit it to Ino's face, she gained some weight especially around the abdomen area.

"Yeah, I might. I wouldn't know what to say to her."

"You may never see her again; you don't want to leave on bad terms with her."

"I know that, Shikamaru!" Ino exclaimed, waving him off. Shikamaru thought the old Ino was ill tempered, but the new Ino would explode if he poured his juice wrong. "Don't worry about Sachiko and me. We'll figure things out before I leave, okay?"

"Whoever said I was worried?"

"Your mom."

"Really?" How childish.

Personally, Shikamaru could not wait to leave Kumogakure and go reunite with friends and family back in Konoha. He wanted Asuma to buy his lunches after long days of sparring, and he missed playing his games with his sensei. Shikamaru missed shogi…. He actually missed his mother's dinners, also, but her dictatorial behavior canceled out the dinners. Friends and family aside, Shikamaru had work to concentrate on, such as the Chunin exams, which start in a month, so he needed to plan. He was excited for the planning, not because he enjoyed the mind numbing planning of every event and choosing proctors, but because of the person he spent the time planning and choosing with, Temari.

"Is this it?" Ino asked, stopping abruptly in front of Shikamaru, who bumped into Ino and received a quick elbow to the stomach. They stood before a minuscule, rectangular building with four rectangular windows the size of Ino's foot on each side of the structure. In the distance, Shikamaru could see the enormous oval building, which he thought it to be the Raikage's office.

"We'll find out when we walk in."

Shikamaru held the door open for Ino, who hesitated to enter the building. First, she poked her head in and then, when she considered the room harmless, Ino stepped in. Shikamaru followed, walking into a room that strongly smelled of ammonia and massive amounts of different scented air freshener.

Ino coughed and plugged her nose. "This can't be healthy," she whispered to Shikamaru as a young woman walked into the walk through a transparent door located in the farthest corner from the two.

When the woman noticed Shikamaru and Ino, they straightened their postures and Ino removed her hand from her nose, but it was obvious she held her breath. "You must be Nara and Yamanaka," the receptionist assumed as she fumbled with a few papers on her desk before walking over to them. "They're waiting for you. I'll take you to them."

The woman led them through the same clear door, which took them into an elevator, where Ino finally released her breath and sucked in the fresh air. The woman chuckled at the act as she pressed the button L7. Once the elevator arrived at the designated floor, Shikamaru and Ino stepped out. "The door is at the end of the hall, and please don't stick any body parts into the other rooms. They bite."

"Huh?" Ino spun around to question the receptionist, but the elevator doors already closed. "Everything about this is creepy. How do we know they won't try something?"

"I've already notified Tsunade that we're returning. If we go missing, she'll point her finger at Kumogakure."

"Or she'll think I killed you and ran away…."

Shikamaru couldn't tell if Ino was serious or not. Hopefully, she was kidding and just wanted to scare him.

The only sources of light were the ill-lit lanterns that dangled from the ceiling, making their journey down the lengthy hallway dim and, even though Shikamaru would refuse to admit such, fearsome. In the brighter part of the hallway where the candles in the lanterns illuminated the passage fairly well, the two shinobi passed doors with barred windows on them. Shikamaru peeked into the door in pure curiosity. Each room contained two men with chains bound to their wrists and ankles. Some cells had a man chained to the wall with chain-links wrapped around his stomach and neck, pinning him to the wall so he had restricted movements. Traveling further down the hall, the temperature dropped and the doors became solid, wooden doors. Behind the closed doors, however, squeals of distress and torture erupted, startling the both of them. Ino stepped closed to Shikamaru, even pressed herself into his side for a brief moment until she seemed to realize what she was doing and stepped away from him and endured the horrific shrieks.

Finally, they stopped in front of wooden, double doors. A light peered from underneath the door, and Shikamaru could faintly smell the ammonia again. Ino coughed against and stepped away from the door. Shikamaru, taking a deep breath and holding it, pushed against the left door and entered a blinding room with its walls painted white and the linoleum shining as if someone waxed the floor. When he turned around, Ino (again) poked her head into the room and surveyed the risk of the room until an ear-buzzing scream chased her in.

"We were expecting you two." Two shinobi, a man and woman, stood over an examination table, hovering over a struggling body of a man. On closer inspection, man had his head tied down to the table and clamps tightened around his eyes, forcing his eyelids open. Shikamaru and Ino ceased their tracks, keeping their distance from the disturbing scene displayed before them. To his side, he heard Ino whimper.

* * *

People knew Kumogakure for two main things: tracking and being obsessed with ocular phenomenon. For centuries, as much as Kumo thinks they kept their experiments secret, many people knew the stories of Kumo shinobi kidnapping those blessed with their kekkai genkai. In Konoha, a popular story about Kumogakure thievery was the Hyuuga abduction, staring her friend, Hinata. Ino, aside from the stories, heard rumors of people tricked into coming down to this very building and forcefully dissected, so scientists attempt to understand the eye. These "scientists" even try to conjure methods to create imitations of the Sharigan or the Byakugan.

The rumors seemed true as she watched the man inch closer to the victim on the examination table with a scalp. As the desperate cries of the poor man escalated and echoed through the room, Ino stepped behind Shikamaru, enabling herself from witnessing the bloody scene unfolding before her.

"Excuse me, okay? I'll take care of these two," a feminine voice asked as the screams slowly died down. A masculine hum followed her question then the tapping of heels hitting the floor echoed throughout the room. Ino moved away from Shikamaru as a lanky, brunette woman sauntered towards them. Ino rolled her eyes when the woman winked at Shikamaru, and he had the nerve to blush at that. "Come this way, please."

Jeez. How big was this building?

The woman led Ino and Shikamaru out of the room that reeked of ammonia and into another room that smelled less of cleaning supplies and more like a doctor's office. The room was windowless and in each corner of the room except one which was occupied by a desk, there was an examination table.

"Whose brain am I seeing today?" the Kumo shinobi asked as she pulled a drawing pad from the desk.

Ino swallowed the colossal lump building in her throat while she stepped forward, eyeing the other women with a suspicious eye as the stranger searched for a writing utensil.

"Aw, you're nervous! Don't worry, Sweetie, it won't hurt. You can actually stand right there. This will be over in a few minutes."

Ino bit her tongue, swallowing the threat to throw this woman off a cliff if she called Ino 'sweetie' one more time. She closed her eyes as the Kumo woman pressed her fingertips against Ino's forehead. After a quick zap as skin contacted skin, Ino felt the woman enter her mind, immediately beginning to search through Ino's memories. Ino knew how to play the game, seeing others play the hide-and-go-seek game with their memories. However, she knew how to create a better hiding spot with her memories than those idiots. Ino kept a thick wall in front of the memories from a particular night, and she replayed last night's events repeatedly, pausing her memories each time Hidan's face popped up. She knew the woman just needed Hidan's face, and if she prodded any further, she'd have a good ass whooping waiting. Ino kept running the scene until she felt the woman's touch lift from her forehead, then she opened her eyes.

Ino glanced down at the drawing pad where there was a detailed picture of Hidan's face etched into the paper. For a second, Ino's mind boggled, wondering how she could draw a person's face in specific detail so quickly. "Did he look like this?" the stranger asked Shikamaru, showing him the picture of the culprit to many disasters. Shikamaru simply nodded his head.

"Did you catch his name?" the brown-haired woman asked as she pulled out a camera from her desk and took a picture of the sketch. "That'll help a lot."

"He said his name was Hidan."

"What a weird name, but it sounds very familiar," the woman mumbled as she began to dig through her desk's drawers once again while mumbling incoherent sayings to herself. "Oh, here it is." She pulled out a bingo book. Ino watched her flip through the book until she landed on the desired page. "Mm, it'll be easy to spot him," she said, pointing to the picture of Hidan. "Hidan is an S-ranked ninja, part of the criminal organization, Akatsuki, and judging by the drawing, it looks like him. You're lucky you're still alive."

_Yeah, me too…_.

* * *

"You're finally back!" Minako exclaimed when Shikamaru and Ino returned to the Pub.

The grave tension still filtered the air in the building even though the aroma of Minako's cookies appeared to uplift the emotions flittering around the Pub. Ino could almost feel the extreme feeling of resentment from Sachiko's room. Judging by the number of cookies Minako baked and the tears brimming at the corner of her eyes, Ino knew Minako felt grief. Ino wrapped her arms around Minako's neck, bringing the other woman in for a hug—the first _mutual_ hug they ever shared.

The other blonde woman pushed away from Ino and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I, um, made you cookies for your trip home. I know it's a long trip…'cause, you know, I'm…from there, and…it took a very, very long time to, you know, get here…. And, I—"

"You're rambling."

"Sorry."

"Is Sachiko still up in her room?"

"She left for a little bit, but I think she came home."

Ino nodded and gradually walked up the stairs, pondering about the words that will be exchanged, or what Ino would do if no words were shared. As Ino stood outside her room, she pressed her forehead against the cool wood and quietly rehearsed what she wanted to say. Before she finished, the door cracked opened.

"I thought it was you," Sachiko muttered and opened the door wider, allowing entrance. "I needed to talk to you." Sachiko followed Ino to her bed and watched Ino grab her backpack from under her bed and begin to pile her clothes into the small sack. "I apologize for running out like that."

"It's not your fault."

"Konoha and Kumo aren't best friends, right? My brother told him how much Kumogakure hated your village, but they can't do anything about it since we're under a peace treaty. Your news surprised me. That's all."

"That's it?" Ino asked in a detached manner, but in reality, under the stoic façade, she deeply cared for Sachiko's words, cherishing every syllable leaving her mouth. "You're angry because our villages hate each other?"

"No; like I said, it just surprised me."

"Oh."

"Have you ever considered that you were running away?"

The question caused Ino to slow her packing and glower at the brunette sitting on her bed. Was she running away? Sachiko's question seemed easy to answer, but Ino didn't want to admit that, yes, she was running away from her problems. Until this moment, Ino never considered that Minako and Sachiko would eventually figure out Hidan raped her, and before they could come to conclusions about it, she needed to leave. Subconsciously, she was running away. Ino now knew she was not only afraid of Hidan, the idea of Sachiko and Minako finding out terrified Ino.

"No."

"I'll miss you."

"Me too."

When Ino finished packing her clothes, Sachiko and her went downstairs, so Ino and Shikamaru could finally say their goodbyes. Minako, Jin, and Shikamaru waited in the front room with Minako impatiently bouncing in a chair and Jin sipping his beer while chatting with Shikamaru, who also had a beer in his hand.

"Are you ready to go?" Shikamaru asked, standing up from his stool and grabbed his backpack from the floor.

No, Ino wasn't ready to leave. She didn't want to leave the three great people she met in Cloud, and she didn't want to leave the life that required her to serve beer and sleep during the day. Back in Konoha, interrogations and discipline awaited her. Then after that, Tsunade expected her to resume her work, the brutal, restraining work of a shinobi. However, Tsunade might be tempted to discharge her….

"Yeah."

Ino never considered goodbyes as a difficult task. However, as Ino hugged Minako and Sachiko, she didn't want to let them go. If it were possible, Ino would bring them to Konoha, or she could glue herself to them. Jin stood at the side, waiting for his turn. When Ino turned to him, Jin extended his arm and offered his hand to shake. Ino, reluctantly, shook his hand.

"Good job, Ino. You'll find my pay in the mail in about two weeks."

"You don't have—"

"You've been through a lot. You deserve it."

"Thank you."

"What are you going to do about your job at the restaurant?"

"Oh….Tell my boss I'm terminally ill, and I'm unable to work, or Minako can work for me. No one will tell the difference."

"I've been looking for a job," Minako mumbled.

"Well, we're leaving." Shikamaru sighed, already heading out the door. He was always so impatient….

"Bye, guys."

* * *

Ino glanced over her shoulder for the fiftieth time that afternoon, looking back at the mountain range that Kumogakure camouflaged in. From a distance, no one could notice the fifty story buildings that made up the gigantic village it was, which rested deep in the rocky terrain. Whoever decided to build a village in the mountains had to be a genius.

Within that humongous village, Sachiko and Minako could be preparing for their shifts at the Pub. When she left, she noticed three ANBU scattered along the skyscrapers surrounding the quaint tavern. At least, Ino knew they would be safe.

"I'm glad you decided to come back home," Shikamaru said, breaking Ino's thoughts.

Ino snarled at the back of Shikamaru's head, cursing him and his luck to Hell. It was pure luck that her…Hidan decided to show his face, and somehow the capture of Hidan became a threat to the people on the street, which would make Ino feel horrible if an innocent civilian was injured in their debacle. It was all luck! If he didn't come around and try to kill Ino, she could be lounging around the Blue Pub.

She hated the idea of going home, but if Hidan or whoever decided to follow her, at least the others will be safe and she'll bring the threat to Konoha, where she knew the problem would be dealt with quickly.

"This also means you're considering yourself a kunoichi, right?" Shikamaru annoyingly grinned at her. Ino glared in response to his stupid question.

"Minus well," she said bitterly. "If I can't be a Kumogakure citizen, then I'm a Konohagakure kunoichi."

"You were one from the start, you know."

"Says you."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue. As they continued to walk in silence, Ino celebrated in victory, mentally dancing a victory dance. She snickered at the frustrated man when he mumbled, "Why do women have to be so damn stubborn?"

* * *

_Muffin likes reviews. :)  
Thank you for reading, reviews, and all that other fun stuff. :)  
Have a good day. _


	18. Crawl: Coming Home

**18. Coming Home**

* * *

The second day of travel, Ino desperately wanted to take a kunai to her temple. Sure, about five months ago, she was used to the killer aches in the soles of her feet, the greasiness of her hair after several days without washing it and the sweaty smell of her clothes after days of physical exertion. However, for the past four months, she lived as a normal citizen, where griminess felt unnatural and disgusting. Ino became used to taking showers every day and not walking for a week straight. What killed her were the restless nights of sleeping on the hard grounds. Ino spent the last two days with a sore back and a constant pang at the crook of her neck. However, despite all the hardships of regressing into the shinobi life, she kept her mouth zipped, and she continued her journey.

The climate of Lightning country differed from Konoha. The massive amounts of humidity clung to Ino's skin, composing sweat drops at her hairline and large sweat stains at her armpits. The heat and moisture had to be unnatural considering it was the beginning of spring; a season that welcomed spring rains and the growth of wild flowers.

While the two Konoha shinobi journeyed through the thick wilderness of Lightning country, they encountered heavy marshlands. The high grass came up to their waists, causing their journey to slow for cautionary procedures. Ponds were scattered everywhere, but Shikamaru and Ino couldn't know where due to the thickness and height of the grass. The only way they knew they stepped into a pond was when they fall face first into the mossy, frigid water.

"Ugh, do you smell that?" Shikamaru asked, glancing over at Ino, who relaxed on an uprooted root of a tree and began to squeeze the water that her scandals soaked up. "What is that?"

Ino sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose at the pungent aroma. It burned her nose and made her eyes water. The smell had a slight resemblance to something burning and the disgusting smell of decaying flesh. "What is that?" she repeated her teammate as she forced a water wrinkled foot through her sandals and walked over to Shikamaru, producing a _squish, squish, squish, squeak!_

"Do you think there's a rest stop somewhere?" Ino asked as she followed Shikamaru.

"We just started walking."

"Yeah, eight hours ago."

"We can stop at the next rest stop…if we find one."

With that, they continued to walk in silence. The strong decaying scent continued to pollute the air, and the deeper they walked through the bog, the stronger the smell began, burning their nostrils to the point where they wrapped their hitae-ate around their noses and mouths and hoped it would filter the odor.

Before Shikamaru and Ino entered the dark forest, Ino spotted a sign that pointed in the direction of a rest area, to which Shikamaru grudgingly followed.

"If we lose our trail, I'm blaming you," he grumbled as Ino skipped towards the rest area that quickly came into view.

"How about you stay here and make sure the trail doesn't go anywhere while I go eat?"

"You're hilarious, Ino, really."

Two women chatted at a table when Ino and Shikamaru entered the bright room. Ino could smell the sweet smells of tea brewing behind the cash counter.

"Afternoon. What can I get you two today?" one woman, a blonde, asked as she stood up and hurried to the counter.

"I'd like a…green tea please," Ino said, pulling her wallet out of her backpack and handing over a few coins to pay for her drink. She pulled down her makeshift mask around her neck and smiled at the employee.

'I'd like the same," Shikamaru said, paying the same amount as Ino.

"Thank you. They'll be out in a second."

Shikamaru and Ino placed their belongings on the ground and leaned against the table, both exhausted from their travels. Ino pressed her forehead against the cool wood of the table and closed her eyes until she heard footsteps and a quiet _cling_ as the woman set their beverages on the table.

"From Konoha, huh?" she said, placing her hands on her hips. "That's a long way back." The woman placed a cup of water in front of the sweating shinobi, who chugged the water done before their drinks. "How's the weather?"

"The heat is outrageous here," Shikamaru commented after taking a sip of his hot tea. "And the smell—has that smell always been here?"

"No, sir, there was a fire in a nearby village a few months ago actually, and since then, the smell hasn't gone away."

When Shikamaru and Ino continued down the trail, into the dark forests where the canopy covered the light from the sun, Ino smelled the putrefying odor through her mask. Her nostrils flared at the scent while her eyes watered. To her side, she saw Shikamaru pull off his mask and vomit the minute contents of his stomach at the side of the road.

In a distant memory that Ino heavily locked away in her mind because she never wanted to relive the vile contents of it, Ino remembered the first time she witness the aftermath of a massive genocide. Team 10 arrived at the scene a few days after. The smell of decaying bodies rotting in the middle of July's heat caused Ino to smell the unpleasant odor for days and have nightmares for weeks.

Shikamaru interrupted Ino's thought as he stopped and glanced at the sky, which the dense canopy covered fairly well. "We have to set up camp. Let's find somewhere dry."

"Well, we know there's none of that around here, so how about we keep walking?"

"We can barely see anything, and it's going to get darker. Also, we have no idea what's out there. Do you really think we should keep walking?"

Ino sneered at Shikamaru's condescending demeanor. "All right, but if the swamp monster comes out and eats you, I blame you."

"Or, are you afraid that Hidan might be following? Is that why you want to keep going?"

Shikamaru never understood the cliché of crossing the line. Especially when it came to Ino, he never stopped patronizing her with personal questions or smirks that just made Ino want to punch him in the face. "I'm going to look around."

Not far from the trail, Ino stumbled upon an area with the grass cut low and a large pond in the midst of the meadow, surrounded by cattails and wild flowers. Willow trees stood close to the water, dipping their green vines into the stagnant water.

"Shikamaru, I think I found something," she shouted to her teammate who searched for a dry location on the other side of the trail. "Do you think this will do?" she asked when Shikamaru hustled into the dry meadow.

"This area looks like it's been managed by someone. Grass in an area like this shouldn't be clean cut."

"So keen on detail." Ino rolled her eyes and walked towards the willow trees, ducking under the vines and ventured around the blanketed space. The scent that lingered heavily in the air made Ino dizzy. She leaned against the mossy tree trunk and gained stability before venturing towards the water.

Ino lowered to her knees as she peeked into the water, checking the pond for any life. Poking through the sand, clouded gray eyes stared back at Ino. "Shit!" Ino lunged back, hitting her back against the trunk. "Shikamaru!"

"What is it?"

"There's someone—"

Shikamaru rushed over to the edge of the water and collapsed to his knees, peering into the water. "Holy shit, what the hell is that?" he mumbled, reaching into the water.

"What are you doing, you idiot?" Before she could stop him, he pulled out a dismantled head of a young woman. Wet, black hair entangled Shikamaru's fingers as dead eyes stared at Ino with her mouth ajar. A pale scar ripped the face in half, starting from the right temple and ending below the left earlobe.

"_Blondie, I know you're in a lot of fucking pain. To make you feel better, I'll say this: this is hurting me a lot more than it's hurting you." _

* * *

Shikamaru felt helpless as he watched his teammate wither in mental pain while she experienced what Sachiko called "her nightly terrors". He couldn't do anything as Ino whimpered and twisted in her sleep, so he ignored it.

He sat there in the moist darkness, watching the small fire dance for life as the moisture heavy air plowed on the flame. However, no matter how long he watched the fire and listened for enemies approaching, Ino's pained whimpered called for his attention.

She slept fidgety ever since she fainted after he pulled that severed head out of the water. As he tended to her, he quickly scribbled a note for the Kumo ANBU and sent it with his fastest bird he could summon. After three, long hours of waiting, ANBU finally showed up.

When he showed the head they discovered, the three ANBU scavenged for the rest of the body that belonged to the unfortunate young girl. Within an hour, each ANBU came to the sight with a body part in tow. As they placed the dismantled body together, Shikamaru winced at the sight of the body. He could only imagine the violent, painful death this woman experienced as he gazed upon the gashes that plagued her throat, her face, and the rest of her naked body.

"Thank you for contacting us. We've been searching for the girl for months now." With that, the ANBU disappeared with the girl's body.

Shikamaru had a long night ahead of him.

Ino released a whimper and a whispered, "Stop."

Shikamaru stared intently at the dwindling fire, trying to get his mind off Ino's vulnerable state.

What would happen when they came home? He knew they needed to haul their asses over to Hokage's Tower to have their asses chewed off by a vexed Tsunade, who will then kick their asses—especially Ino's ass for desertion.

There had to be rumors flying around the Jounin lounge by now. Avoiding untrue questions of ridiculous scenarios were inevitable. Maybe, Shikamaru and Ino were hitched because relationships with teammates—no, just relationships—were frowned upon in shinobi society. Maybe, they went on a sexy escapade, creating mischief and chaos on the towns they pillaged. No, if anyone knew Shikamaru, they know he'd never do that because he was so lazy…. Anyway, the curious looks he'd get when walking down the street was expected, like the prodding question.

But, his bothersome life after returning home couldn't rival with Ino's life when she returned. He couldn't imagine the amounts of tests and interrogations they'd run his teammate through. She could spend months trying to convince everyone she didn't betray Konoha even if they scoped her mind for any memories that countered her words. On top of that, she's go through the same annoying questions and gazes from the other shinobi. She'd also have to deal with her worried friends.

At least life would go back the way it was before Ino left.

Ino sniveled again, turning in her sleep. He quickly looked up from the fire and watched her shirt slowly rise just below her breasts, revealing an ugly scar that infected her stomach, stretching the width of her stomach as if someone wanted to slice her in half.

* * *

The fifth day of traveling, both Ino and Shikamaru dragged their tired feet along the dirt road, creating long tracks from dragging their sandals. Noticing the climate change to a warm, easy breathing air, Ino and Shikamaru sucked in the air and enjoyed the slight breeze that dried off their sweat-drenched clothes.

Even if they shared that joyous moment of entering their home nation, Ino still refused to speak with Shikamaru—eight hours and counting—even after he tried to apologize for dumping freezing, mossy pong water on her to wake her up. Of all people to hate him, it had to be Ino, who knew how to keep grudges and make you feel like utter crap.

"Shikamaru," she suddenly said, which made him stop and stare at her in disbelief. "Can we stop for the night?" she asked, beckoning her head towards a tourist village. Shikamaru looked up the sun, which began to set below the horizon. They still had a few hours of daylight left. If they hurried, they could reach Konoha before midnight.

"Can't we just keep going?" he insisted. "We're about five hours from home."

"Shikamaru, I'm on the verge of amputating my feet."

"Would amputating your feet help you walk faster?"

"Shikamaru."

"All right," he complied, not wanting to remain on her bad side. "We can stay."

"We could be in Konoha by now," Shikamaru grumbled when they walked into their hotel room that, to Ino's dismay, supplied a single bed. Ever since they stepped foot in the village, Shikamaru complained her ear off.

"Will you shut up?" Ino snapped, dropping her bag on the bed and rummaging through its contents. She hadn't opened her pack since they left Kumogakure, and Ino could really use a change of clothes and a shower…a long shower.

"Sorry that I want to go home," he mumbled. Shikamaru dumped his pack on his bed as well then fell backwards on the bed, heaving a relieved sigh when his body hit the cozy bed. Ino noticed him shiver as his muscles began to relax. "This feels great…."

"You're not sleeping on the bed," Ino said as she pulled out a long sleeved shirt from her backpack that wrapped around a pink box that Ino never remembered packing.

"Who says?"

"Me."

"Since when did you care? We always slept in the same bed. What makes tonight any different?"

Ino remained silent and continued to delve through her clothes, noting the clean and dirty. She shoved the pink box to the bottom of her backpack as she pulled out another long sleeved shirt and threw it on the bed, along with some old pants and underwear.

Shikamaru scratched his scalp and sighed, frustrated. "This is bothersome," he concluded. "Fine, I'll take the floor if that'll make you feel better."

Ino, once again, stayed quiet and examined the pink box, hiding it in her bag so Shikamaru couldn't see it. On the side that covered the label, there was a note from Sachiko.

_You may have Minako and the others fooled, but I had my suspicions. Before you came back, I went out and bought these. I hope you have a wonderful future. Be safe. _

_Sachiko _

Ino ripped the paper off the box, revealing a white box with a picture of a stick with a pink plus sign etched into the end of it. Realizing what the box contained, Ino dropped the box. It clattered on the floor, gaining Shikamaru's curious attention. Ino quickly retrieved the box and shoved it in her bag.

"What was that?"

"I dropped my kunai."

"Oh. Uh, do you want anything to eat?"

"No, but can you buy me some apple juice or something?" She really craved juice….

"Yeah, sure thing. I'll be right back."

As Shikamaru closed the door, Ino grabbed the pregnancy test and glared at the box as she read the instruction. She couldn't be pregnant. No, she couldn't. Nope.

Ino shoved the box back at the bottom of her bag and buried the box under her clothes and toiletries, forcing herself to forget about the thought of pregnancy and the thought of being pregnant with that man's child. Thinking about that made her want to throw up.

* * *

In the background, fireworks exploded in the distance, followed by cheers for more explosives. Hinata watched the fireworks light up the grounds of the Academy but listened to the soft weeps of the young woman sitting beside her.

Hinata pulled at soft flower petals and watched them float to the ground as she waited for Sakura to calm down. Sakura dragged Hinata away from the festival, asking for time away from the stranger bumping into her constantly. Hinata didn't truly know her best friend's issue until she collapsed on the bench and sobbed into her palms, crying about Ino.

She cried about Tsunade refusing to update Sakura on Ino furthermore and sending her away before Sakura could push the issue. Sakura believed something horrible happened to Ino. Hinata remained quiet and patted her back.

Hinata missed Ino as well, and yes, she did shed some tears for her missing friend, but Sakura came home to an empty apartment when Ino usually lazed around the house. Sakura didn't hear Ino's heavy snoring at night, or when Shikamaru decided to visit, Sakura didn't hear the stage whispered conversations Ino and Shikamaru had. Sakura just heard silence. For the past four, almost five months, the apartment stayed quiet.

"Do you want to go home?" Hinata asked.

"No, I don't want to ruin your night."

"I-It's okay, Sakura, really. If you're not having a good time, we can go."

"I'm sorry, Hinata."

"N-No, it's fine. On the way home, we can buy a carton of ice cream. You don't even have to share, it's all yours."

Sakura chuckled. "Okay."

* * *

The tick of the clock seemed to slow as Ino looked down at the stick that shook between her fingers. Did she want to know?

Two pinks lines materialized after an eternity of waiting.

Ino glanced at the box.

Two lines meant…pregnant.

Shit.

* * *

_Muffin likes reviews!  
Thank you for reading, reviewing, alerting, favoriting. It makes me happy! :)  
Have a majestic day. _


	19. Crawl: Mind Games

_All righty. I've decided to write my author's note up hither now… So, this chapter is shorter than the previous, so I apologize. On a happier note, I'm on vacation, so there's a possibility of smoother updates and possibly more frequent….maybe. Anyway, enjoy. _

* * *

**19. Mind Games**

* * *

"You want me to do what now?" Shikamaru couldn't believe his ears. He must have heard Ino wrong. He needed to clean out his ears.

"I want you, Shikamaru, to punch me in the stomach," Ino repeated slowly, annunciating each syllable clearly. "As hard as you can—go!"

_What did she snort in the bathroom this morning?_ Shikamaru wondered, eyeing Ino with a suspicion. She looked more alive, alert. "Why should I?" This had to be a prank of some sort.

"I've been a bitch to you for the last month or two. I deserve a nice, solid punch to the gut…right now. Meaning, punch me this very second…now."

Yes, the idea of punching Ino sounded grand because of the frustration and sleepless nights she put him though, and she did beat the living snot out of him…twice. However, punching a girl countered all the reasons why Shikamaru should punch Ino. Then again, whenever they sparred during training, and he kicked occasional Ino ass, no one accused him of being a woman beater…because they were ninja. According to society, ninja had no gender.

With the conclusion in his head, Shikamaru pulled his arm back and balled his hand into a fist, ready to plunge his fist into Ino's waiting stomach. As he shot his fist forward, Ino jumped back and wrapped her arms around her abdomen.

"What are you thinking?" she cried. "You're not supposed to hit girls!"

"Frankly, that rule doesn't apply to us."

"As of right now, it applies. How could you even consider punching me?"

"You asked for it!"

"You could've said 'no.'"

Shikamaru, as much as he wanted to argue back and give her a surprise jab to the gut, kept his mouth shut. His father, a wise fellow when it came to the opposite sex, taught him to keep quiet when it came to arguing with women. Women, according to his father, argued until they won, and they would use anything to win a fight—meaning they'd use the little things that annoyed them, the gossip they heard, and often times, women used past mistakes a man has done just to make them feel like shit. Shikamaru knew that from watching his parents fight over mashed potatoes, and he even experienced the unfairness a woman brought into an argument when he argued. So, following his father's handy tips, Shikamaru ended the debacle early before Ino utilized the situation to pick at him and list all his habits that annoyed her.

His father also mentioned something about mind games women played, in which Shikamaru wondered if he just witnessed said games. Shikaku warned him to steer clear from questions or statements that included the issues such as appearances and actions. Usually, normal women—Ino not in this particular category—started these games with a question like "Does this…?" or "What would you do if…?" Then, there were woman who knew how to play the mind games so well it came almost natural to them…like breathing. They could somehow nonchalantly sneak one of those questions into a conversation, and before a man knew it, she could blow up in his face…like what Ino just did. Shikamaru's mother constantly played those games with him and his father, so he _thought_ he was prepared.

Ino proved two points. One, she now knew Shikamaru thought Ino acted like a bitch back in Kumogakure, and two, he wanted to punch her for it. Now, she had more ammo to use if they ever argued.

Women—Shikamaru will never understand them. Never.

"Shikamaru, I'd like to get home before nightfall if that's all right with you!" Shikamaru lifted his gaze from his feet to find Ino about fifty paces ahead of him and steadily increasing the distance between them.

That's another aggravation about women!

"Wait up!"

Women had all types of personality problems…really. His father mentioned this disease called PMS, but Shikamaru didn't fully understand what that meant, but if the acronym associated with women, then it can't be good. Anyway, his father compared women to light switches—wait, no, that was about a completely different topic. What did Shikaku compared women to? Well, whatever the analogy was, Shikaku said women could be mopey and on the verge of clinical depression, and within the next second, women could be bubbly and happy-go-lucky. Women had personality disorders.

* * *

Ino dreaded the thought of returning to Konoha as anyone would if they deserted their village and ended up pregnant with an Akatsuki member's child. She could almost feel the shame everyone would have towards Ino. Even Shikamaru, who probably wouldn't care, probably would feel ashamed of her. In a few more weeks, her belly would grow to a noticeable size that she wouldn't be able to hide, and then everyone would know she was pregnant. The issue of the father stayed sealed inside Ino—no one would know.

Ino couldn't predict what would happen upon arrival. It was impossible to predict, really. Tsunade could have ANBU waiting for her, ready to tackle her to the ground and take her in for interrogation. Interrogation was inevitable. Tsunade and Intel only knew how long they would question her. If they didn't like what she told them, Intel would force themselves into her mind and track the minute details of everything that occurred while she lived in Kumogakure, which, considering a particular event that happened around three months ago, did not appeal to Ino.

Once interrogation ended, Ino needed to make an appointment. Ino had to start thinking of a back-up story, and she needed to figure out what she wanted to do with it.

No, she shouldn't think about those matters now. She should focus on the happier moments. She was almost home, and as much as she didn't want to be excited coming home and see her family and friends because of a certain situation that had potential of spreading through the village, Ino felt the bubbly anxiety gurgling in her stomach. It was excitement—or gas—that added the hop in each of her steps.

"Ino, what's up with you? Why are you so happy?" Shikamaru asked as he finally caught up with her.

"No reason," she answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Women…," she heard Shikamaru sigh exasperatedly, "they're so troublesome." She almost felt pity for him since his life revolved around the opposite gender. His boss, coworkers, and his teammate were all female, which had to suck for him, being around all that estrogen and what not. "Ino, can't you act normal for once?"

Ino resisted the urge to spin around and stick her tongue at him because that would be childish…

_A child_, Ino thought as she subconscious grazed her palm over her stomach, wondering if something really lived inside of her Well, whatever resided in her was the spawn of the freaking devil. Hopefully, it wouldn't take after the sperm donor.

"Ino," Shikamaru mumbled after several, long minute of silence slugged away. "Whatever happens at home, you can count on me to be there."

Ino almost died. Another heart felt moment with Shikamaru. Ino almost had the right to die now that she witnessed Shikamaru's soft side twice. However, she let the first moment go unharmed and they had a beautiful moment together, but she couldn't say that would happen with this current moment.

"I'll be fine on my own. Whatever happens, I can deal with it by myself."

* * *

In her head, it like someone hammered sledgehammers into her cranium, creating a dull, ringing in her ears and a painful headache. Maybe she drank too much last night…. Well, she had to enjoy it since that night was the only night Shizune allowed it. It also sucked that she had mountains of paperwork stacked on her desk, and she needed to review all of it with the pounding migraine. What luck…

As Tsunade skimmed over a request to build a new ramen shop, that person in her head must have switched the sledge hammer with a bell since she suddenly heard a high pitched ding ringing in her ears.

Tsunade turned to glance out the window to see a little songbird resting on the windowsill with a small message tube wrapped around its right leg.

"Must be from Shikamaru," she mumbled to herself and retrieved the little message from the bird, which flew away when Tsunade slipped the tube off its leg.

_Ino has finally complied and decided to return home. Further information shall be given upon arrival. _

_-Shikamaru_

About damn time. Ino had hell to pay.

"Lady Tsunade, may I come in?" a familiar voice spoke from beyond the doors. "It's me, Sakura." Of all the people that would show up at a time like this.

Tsunade tucked the note in her pocket and straightened up her posture, forcing a small smile on her lips and tried make her face look as if she didn't suffer from a hangover along with the news about Ino's arrival. "Come in." Tsunade wouldn't tell Sakura of the news—she deserved to be surprised by Ino's arrival.

"Good morning," Sakura greeted with her usual merry persona. "I was wondering if you read the request for new hospital beds and—maybe you didn't." Sakura eyed the stack of request forms on Tsunade's desk.

Tsunade waved the first request form in her apprentice's face. "This is my first of the day," she grumbled. "So, no, I didn't read it, but I'll be sure to make it a first priority to approve of new hospital beds and uniforms," she said sarcastically, receiving a grimace from Sakura. "Sorry, Sakura, but the hospital isn't an important priority right now."

"I understand. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You have more important things to tend to."

Tsunade waited until she heard the door close to take out the note from her pocket that felt heavy in her pocket while Sakura stood before her, unbeknownst to Ino's homecoming. As much as Tsunade yearned to tell Sakura, who seemed to have hard time living by herself for the last few months according to Naruto, but Sakura needed some excitement in her life. She needed a surprise, A.K.A Ino.

Ino left about five months ago with ambition and faith in herself. Usually, solo missions never go the way one planned, and especially a investigation mission with one person was bound to be a failure. Thinking about it now, Tsunade never should have given into Ino's puppy eyes and persuasion. Two people, at minimum, were required for a _successful _mission, so why did she allow Ino to go by herself when Tsunade knew she was headed for failure? Deep down, Tsunade had hope in Ino and wanted her to be successful. Tsunade picked the wrong mission to send Ino on her own.

If it weren't for her decision to send Ino alone, maybe Ino wouldn't have gone AWOL. Maybe the murderer would be apprehended, and everyone was happy instead of having a missing shinobi and a depressed Sakura and Inoichi—that poor man can't even do his job right nowadays.

Well, she didn't need to worry anymore. Ino would be home soon.

* * *

Through the dense trees, she could see the village's lights glowing in the distance. The trees and underbrush blurred as Ino picked up her pace, almost to a near sprint as she stared at the village growing bigger and bigger. She didn't listen to Shikamaru's pleas, asking her to stop and wait for him. She ran until she stood before her village, Konoha. She was home.

* * *

_Muffin likes reviews.  
__Have a good day!_


	20. Crawl: The Village

_I'm starting to come down with a case of writer's block. Maybe it's just this chapter that gave me a hard time…._

* * *

**20. The Village**

* * *

"You're not camping out here, are you?" Shikamaru asked, crouching next to Ino, who bent down to collect dry twigs from under a bush. Ino tried to ignore his question and continued to gather her kindle while humming a tune from her childhood. Fun fact: Shikamaru's mom taught her the song, but Shikamaru probably wouldn't know that.

When Ino stood in front of those gates for the first time in several months, her knees shook in anxious delight, but in her head, she knew she wasn't ready to face whatever waited for her. Her feet pushed forward, excited to run in through those gates and down the streets, but her mind wanted her legs to turn around and run back to Kumogakure, where she knew no one would pester her.

"You're kidding me, right?" She didn't answer. "Do you think you're being funny? You're two steps away from home, and you decide to set up camp right outside the gates. You're being ridiculous."

"Shut up, Shikamaru."

She needed to take things slow and rushing into her village to get her ass chewed and beat weren't what she deemed "taking things slow."

"You're worried about Tsunade, aren't you? You don't have to see her this second; you can see her tomorrow."

Oh….Why didn't she think of that? She could rest for a night in her cozy bed, and in the morning—maybe in the afternoon, or evening, maybe the week after, she could go talk to Tsunade, who would then chew her head off.

"You're right, Shikamaru."

"I am?"

Ino rolled her eyes. When was he ever wrong?

Sirens echoed through the village, signaling the closure of the gates, when Shikamaru and Ino strolled in. Ino guessed the time to be around ten-thirty since the sirens were going off already.

"Hey, Shikamaru! Is that you buddy?" a familiar voice—but Ino couldn't place a finger on it—hollered from a booth to the left of them. In the dark, she faintly saw a figure sitting in the booth.

"Kotetsu, Tsunade still has you working here?" Shikamaru asked, veering over to the booth with Ino tagging close behind.

"After our last mission, I won't be seeing any action for a while," the bandaged face man answered with a sheepish grin. "Sign in," he said, handing a clipboard to Shikamaru then his eyes glanced up at Ino, who almost felt frightened but had to remind herself they used to be good friends before she left. "Ino, it's been a while since I've seen your pretty face around here. Welcome back," Kotetsu said with the same grin from before. "Izumo will be happy to see you. It sucks he's sick in bed."

"Uh, well, tell him I said 'hi', and I hope he gets better."

"Will do. I'll see you two around."

Konoha didn't change much while she was gone. Hokage Mountain still looked like Hokage Mountain, but if she squinted and strained her eyes far enough, she noticed construction to the left of Tsunade's face. They must be planning the construction of Naruto's face, whose ceremony will be taking place in the next several months if Ino counted right. Shikamaru's house was still Shikamaru's one-story house with a cute, little pond in the front. The streets still looked symmetrical and eye appealing as Ino walked down the empty streets. When she arrived at her apartment building, she noted no changes to her building as well. It felt surreal, knowing Ino was finally home in Konohagakure.

She was finally home. For months, Ino deluded herself into thinking the place meant for her was Kumogakure, and she even pictured herself renting an apartment and continuing her life as a citizen. Ino imagined falling in love there and having a family. However, deep down, she knew the place she needed to be was Konoha, where her ancestors grew up and died, where the best shinobi in the world grew up and died, and where she grew up and would eventually die in. There was no other place Ino wanted to live.

Without a second glance at her building, Ino turned to the direction of the Hokage's office, still uncertain if she was ready to face the consequences, but Ino suddenly wanted to get her meeting with the Hokage over with, so she could relax throughout the night.

* * *

"Get your ass in here, Yamanaka!" Tsunade hollered before Ino could knock on the door. She hesitantly pushed the door opened and watched a lamp flash past her head and shatter against the door, which also forced the door to slam shut. When Ino looked up at Tsunade, she was already searching for the next large object to chuck at her face. Here comes the ass beating….

"Never again, will you take a solo mission, is that clear, Yamanaka?" Tsunade asked breathless, picking up a pencil and shooting it towards Ino, who stepped out of the way.

"Yes."

"What gives you the audacity to desert your mission and your village? Please explain."

"I was tracking the murderer." Partly true.

"Is that why you refused—even though you were ordered by me—to return to Konoha? You were 'tracking the murderer'?" Tsunade plopped in her chair and messaged her temples. "I find that highly questionable. As much as I want to believe you, I must think about my village's safety first, and if you go off on your own and don't send updates, what am I supposed to think?"

"I apologize, Lady Tsunade." What else could Ino tell Tsunade?

"An apology isn't going to work. There will be consequences."

Ino subconsciously rubbed her stomach that suddenly felt like weights resided inside her. If this thing wasn't much of a consequence, Ino didn't know what was. "I understand."

Tsunade shook her head. "I feel like you don't understand me, Ino. Do you understand that I'm pissed at you for going AWOL on me, so I had to send in my smartest shinobi after you? Without Shikamaru, we're strategically inept."

"There were other choices."

Ino's comment seemed to take Tsunade aback. Her fingers began to creep towards a pencil sharpener at the corner of her desk, a sign to Ino that she should keep her yapper zipped. Tsunade sighed. "That is true, but I knew Shikamaru could have at least talked some sense into you." No, not true. Shikamaru just made Ino want to stay in Kumo even more. He was a constant reminder of what waited for her in Konoha, which was this, a lecture from the Hokage.

"Anyway, next month, there's a mandatory session at the Investigation department. You'll be interrogated, and they'll report straight to me. I doubt I'll be getting a report from you or Shikamaru." Damn straight. "I'm too angry to think of anything else. You're dismissed, Ino, but you better keeper your ears open. I might summon you soon. After this weekend, you're on duty."

"Understood," Ino mumbled and turned around to leave the room.

"Oh, and Ino," Tsunade called before Ino could take her first step out of the room. Ino turned around to face her superior. Her honey eyes stared at Ino's stomach. Ino covered her stomach with her hand, covering the slight bump forming underneath her clothes. "When you see Shikamaru, tell him to come see me, please."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Great; you're dismissed."

The steps creaked loudly as

* * *

Ino climbed the stairs to her apartment room. She remembered her seventeen-year-old self complaining about her apartment being on the seventh floor, and the apartment didn't have any form of quicker transportation up the floors. Sakura said that's why the rent was so cheap. Also, when Ino noticed how toned her thighs and calves became, she couldn't complain since they shaped her body to near perfection.

As Ino walked down her hallway, each room she passed greeted her with silence or the low hum coming from a television or radio playing behind the closed doors. Ino pressed her ear against her apartment door and listened for any conversation or, to keep things at a simpler level, any life. She kept her ear pressed against the door as she stuck her key in the keyhole and turned the doorknob.

Empty.

Sakura didn't sit on the couch with a medical book in her lap or with the television turned on. She wasn't cooking dinner or taking a shower. Naruto didn't sit at the dining table, scarfing down food by the handful. No noise came from Sakura's room, so they couldn't be in there. The apartment was silent.

Several years ago, when Sakura and Ino first moved into their apartment, everyone came to their apartment for dinner and to socialize. Maybe because there was some type of thrill when one moved into a new place or because no one had nothing to do, but whatever the reason, Ino became used to the noise of everyone chattering, laughing, and the door constantly opening and closing. As Ino stood in the middle of her living room, the silence ate her nerves, leaving nothing but paranoia and fear behind in its wake.

As a child, her mind played tricks on her when she went to bed at night. When the lights were off, and she lay awake in bed, she imagined seeing people, or creatures, standing at the edge of her bed or in a corner of her room, watching her as she slept. Ino, standing in her den, glanced into her kitchen. A shadow flashed across the doorway. As a child, she closed her eyes and pretended no one stood there. Now, instead of closing her eyes and counting to five, Ino ran into her room.

Besides the excessive amount of dust, Ino's room remained the way she left it about five months ago. Ino—hesitant at first because of the dust—sat on her bed, gazing around her room, searching for any changes, but she couldn't point out any differences.

Ino never noticed how boy crazy her old self was. Numerous posters of half-naked men in swimming trunks plagued her wall. Ino slid off the side of her bed and walked over to a poster, taking in the sculpted body up close. Her eyes glazed over into a blank stare while she studied the defined air brushed body of the model.

Her old self enjoyed the occasional hook-ups, and she preferred shinobi over the citizens. The model she stared at didn't compare with the bodies she seen on the shinobi men she slept with. Every inch of a shinobi's skin rippled with defined muscles on lean bodies. Besides appearance, shinobi had better stamina….

Ino ripped the poser in half, tearing it off the wall and crumpling the paper into a ball. She ripped the paper into shreds and threw the pieces at the floor. She ripped and ripped and ripped until she dropped to her knees, wiping her frustrated tears with her sleeve.

"Hello?"

Shit. Ino hopped to her feet and bundled the scraps of paper into a ball, throwing it into her wastebasket as she listened to Sakura's footsteps tap across the den, towards Ino's room. Ino took a quick glance into the mirror, hoping she looked presentable. Besides the bewildered look in her eyes and the fact—Ino couldn't get over it, and it surprised her every time she looked at her reflection—she had short hair, she looked okay. Ino tucked her bangs behind her ear and took a deep breath before opening her door.

"Ino?"

Ino didn't know what to say. She panicked, scavenging her brain from some sort of phrase that sounded Ino-like. "Daa…hi."

Sakura didn't change much over the course of Ino's disappearance except for the longer hair that she kept in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. Before Ino left, there were ever presented dark circles hanging below Sakura's eyes. Now, Sakura's skin was glowing and rested. What did Ino look like in Sakura's eyes?

"Your hair—it's, uh, short."

"I needed a change," Ino mumbled, involuntarily pinching a lock of her hair between her fingers. It didn't feel right to reach up to comb her fingers through her hair.

"I like it."

Ino forced a grin on her face, something that felt unnatural. "Are you going to stand there? I haven't seen you in forever!" she exclaimed, opening her arms as Sakura lunged forward to hug Ino. Ino winced as she felt her best friend's arms wrap around her neck. She reluctantly hugged Sakura back, awkwardly patting her back while Sakura nuzzled her cheek into Ino's neck.

"I missed you so much," Sakura mumbled into Ino's neck, who shuddered. Ino desperately wanted to push her best friend away, but she couldn't. "Naruto is really annoyed with me because of you. I won't leave him alone," she said with a soft giggle.

To Ino's relief, Sakura pulled away and held Ino at arm's length, eyeing Ino from head to toe. Ino sucked her stomach. Ino tried to put happiness in her eyes. Both were inevitable, for the longer they stood there in silence, she couldn't maintain it.

"You must be really tired. I'll let you go to bed," Sakura said, smiling at Ino.

"Yeah, I'll see you in the morning."

"I'm making breakfast in the morning. Naruto is coming over, too."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Sakura watched Ino close her room door with a small click followed behind the soft thud. Ino locked her door. She never locked her door.

Ino changed. She looked as if she belonged to the living dead. Her face looked hollow like someone decided to starve her throughout the months. Her skin didn't hold its glow anymore. It was a sickly pale as if that someone who decided to starve her also locked her up in a room for the whole time. She looked tired. Maybe that could be due to her being on the road for the past few days.

Not only did Ino change physically, she changed mentally—even though Sakura couldn't teleport herself into Ino's mind, she knew Ino changed in such way as well. Being gone on a mission for an extensive amount of time wasn't rare for Sakura and Ino, but whenever Sakura returned or vice versa, Ino always greeted Sakura with a huge hug and an ear splitting squeal while motoring off all the gossip and events that took place during her mission. Today, Ino kept her distance and acted like she didn't want to touch Sakura, didn't want to be in the same room as Sakura.

Maybe Ino needed time to rest before she acted like her old self again. Until then, Sakura needed to keep an eye out on her friend and hope everything returned to normal. Even though Ino's homecoming wasn't exactly what Sakura expected it to be, she was glad Ino was home.

* * *

Everything about this new atmosphere felt strange to Ino. Everything felt too soft. The blankets didn't feel itchy against her skin, and her pillow wasn't hard against her skull. Everything felt almost comforting.

"_Ino…." _

Ino's eyes shot open.

Where the hell was she? She wasn't in her room anymore. Sachiko's bed wasn't across from her bed anymore, and there were clothes scattered all over the ground. Ino didn't remember her room being so bright in the mornings….

"How is she?"

"Really tired."

That was Sakura's voice. Did that mean she was home, or was Ino hearing voices in her head?

Ino leaned over and pulled down her blinds, peering into the streets. Shinobi in green flasks and Konoha hitae-ates strolled down the streets. Children with book bags strapped to their backs ran down the streets, probably late for the academy. In the distance, she could see Hokage Mountain looming over the village. She was in Konoha.

"Eh, you don't think that's burning?" she heard Naruto ask.

"No, why?"

"Well, it's turning black, Sakura."

There was a prolonged pause. "Yeah, it might be burning."

It wasn't Sachiko making breakfast, and Ino couldn't hear Minako's cheerful chatting as she sat at the island, skimming the newspaper for jobs. She couldn't hear the boys' thudding and snoring in the next room. It was just Ino in her small room with her roommate and her boyfriend standing outside of her bedroom.

Despite her body objecting to her rolling out of bed, she threw the blankets away from her body and slid off the side of her bed, groaning due to sore limbs and muscles. Before greeting Naruto and Sakura a good morning, Ino glanced in the mirror, noting her bedhead hair and her stomach poking against her tight shirt. Ino raised her shirt to examine the swollen stomach. The scar, which smoothed over after months of trying to heal it, looked stretched and awkwardly dark against her expanded, pale skin. There was no doubt something grew inside of her….

If Tsunade wanted to give her consequences, she couldn't give Ino a consequence that topped carrying the scars and spawn of the man that took advantage of her.

"Ino, are you awake? Breakfast is ready," Sakura called, tapping against her door.

Ino let her shirt fall down as she rushed to open the door with a forced smile on her cracked lips. "Good morning," she breathed, walking straight to the dining table, past a surprised Sakura who eyed Ino suspiciously. Ino attempted to ignore the blonde that sat on the kitchen counter, who waved at her with too much enthusiasm for someone awake at eight in the morning.

"How'd your mission go?" Naruto asked, taking a seat next to her. Ino inched her chair away from him as she gathered food onto her plate. Naruto, unable to take a hint, leaned closer to her. Ino leaned away. "Ino?"

"Fine," Ino answered in an uncouth manner. Naruto didn't seem to notice her rudeness. "There were some complications, but everything turned out…fine."

"I heard you went miss—"

"Naruto, do you want some apple juice?" Sakura asked, shaking a jug of juice in his face. "Yeah? All right, I'll pour a cup for you."

"But, I don't want—"

"What's everyone doing today? I'm working at the hospital, and if I'm lucky, Tsunade will give me the rest of the day off, or she'll have me sort through her records. What are you going to do, Ino?" she asked hurriedly, not giving Naruto any time to interject.

Ino stopped chewing her food to think about her day plans. Because she arrived so late, she never thought of what she wanted to do, but she better take advantage of the next few days she has off since Tsunade will probably work her to the bone once she's on duty again. Maybe, she could visit her parents. She hasn't seen them in a while. She hasn't seen her precious flower shop in ages as well. She might go spend time there….

After she swallowed the rest of her food, Ino answered, "I don't really know."

"What about you, Naruto?"

Naruto frowned and lowered his head to the table, so his forehead rested on the edge of it. "I don't want to think about it," he mumbled. What happened to all the energy he had a few seconds ago?

"_You _wanted to be Hokage, and you knew it was going to be a lot of hard work. Speaking of hard work, Naruto, we have to get going if we want to meet Tsunade in time."

Naruto as the Hokage? Ino had the idea of it buried in the back of her mind, but she couldn't believe Tsunade wanted to pass down the title to Naruto. She couldn't image Naruto being Hokage. Ever since they were kids, Naruto pulled silly pranks and did obnoxious things to get people's attention, and in something odd months, he would have all the attention a child wanted. Ino's life from that point would orbit around Naruto's decisions. She just could not see that happening.

Then again, she couldn't see herself back in Konoha and look where she's at now…. It's not like Ino didn't doubt Naruto's ability to rule a village. She had confidence in him. He had courage, compassion, and a gentle heart, which is what a Hokage needed to rule successfully she thought. What bothered he was that he surpassed her, the kunoichi who excelled in everything since the academy days. The idiot who failed at everything was the one to rule over the village. What was she now?

"We should be heading out. We have to talk to Tsunade, remember?"

"Oh…right."

"Don't worry about the dishes, Ino, or dinner. I'll pick something up for us when I come home."

Ino nodded and watched the couple gather their day's belongings and head out the door, locking the door behind them. They left her in silence, an eerie silence that felt as if someone hid in the shadows and would grab Ino if she walked by.

The refrigerator hummed and the water splashed against the dishes Ino rinsed off. Somewhere down the hall, a child screamed in delight which was followed by a masculine laugh. The man growled, "I'm gonna get you!" followed by more screaming and tiny steps running down the hallway. Ino turned off the water and went to go get dressed—she couldn't stay in this apartment any longer.

* * *

**Review, and tell me what you think!  
Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and everything else that there is to do. :)**  
**Have a fantastic day!**


	21. Crawl: Seventeen

_This chapter was like pulling teeth. It took a while, and I apologize for that, but it's out! The ideas for upcoming chapters are coming to me faster and smoothly, so hopefully, there will be faster updates. _

* * *

**21. Seventeen**

* * *

Ino crossed off the days on her calendar with a red pen as she counted backwards from the day's date and ending on the day Hidan whisked her away on the night she thought would be nothing but a charming conversation. The ball point stabbed through the paper the longer Ino held the pen on the exact date it happened. She stared at the tiny number in the corner of the tiny box that resembled a day in a calendar.

She was seventeen weeks pregnant. It's been seventeen weeks since that night. When Ino started working again, she was sixteen weeks. All her missions have been C and D ranked, keeping Ino fairly close to the village. That week, her sixteenth week pregnant and first week back in Konoha, she struggled to adjust to the shinobi life and being mindful of her actions since others, possibly ANBU, lurked in the shadows, waiting for her to take a wrong step so they could take her in—she didn't know where they (Ino didn't know who _they _were exactly) would take her, but wherever that may be, it must be a horrible place. When Ino returned to Konoha, she stood at fifteen weeks. Now that she thought about it, it's been about two weeks since she's seen Shikamaru. After coming home, she couldn't find Shikamaru, who was undoubtedly busy nowadays.

Until questioning—this would happen around her twentieth week—Ino needed to watch her own actions. By then, she couldn't keep her precious secret a secret. She'd be noticeable bigger than she is now, and everyone would be able to tell she was pregnant…and not fat. After days of feuding with herself, Ino decided to open up. She'd tell Tsunade about that night, about Hidan, and the monstrosity growing inside her. Tsunade had no say in what happened to the latter. In the end, Ino determined the fate of it. No one else but Ino.

Ino threw the pen on the counter and averted her attention to the snack cupboard, wondering if Sakura kept sweet goodies in there. She's been craving peanut butter cookies since the moment she woke up that morning, and thankfully, Sakura also loved peanut butter cookies and kept a secret stash on the top shelf.

Ino barely fit in her clothes nowadays with her ever-growing stomach. She could tell her stomach grew by the number of stretch marks that started to emerge. Every time she found a new stretch mark, Ino wanted to throw herself out of the window or punch herself really, really hard. Ino hid her baby bump with baggy sweatshirts that belonged to past boyfriends and hookups that forgot their clothes at her place. She knew the sweatshirts would come in handy one day…. What really depressed Ino was the inability to fit in her pants anymore, making Ino resort to buying maternity leggings, which fit her hips perfectly and stretched over her baby bump. As embarrassing as it was, she walked around Konoha looking like she just woke up and walked straight out the door. On some days, Ino didn't mind. Usually, she wandered around Konoha's forests, picking up herbs or digging a hole for a tree as a mission, so no one really saw her dressed as a hobo.

"Ino, what are we having for dinner?" Sakura asked, walking out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel wrapped around her naked body. "I'm in the mood for some nood—are you eating my cookies?"

Ino shoved her fourth cookie into her mouth and turned to face her roommate with cheeks full of peanut butter cookies. "No," Ino muffled. She swallowed the cookies as Sakura stomped over and took the jar of cookies out of her hand. "You wanted noodles? We can do that!" Ino said, scrambling for a subject change.

"You ate my cookies."

"Well, dinner is on you and Naruto, though. I have a late night!"

"Why?"

"I have an escort mission tonight." Finally, Tsunade allowed her to leave the village, but under certain conditions which she didn't reveal to Ino yet…. She needed to escort an eight-year-old girl to the tourist village about six hours away.

"That's a downer," Sakura said, plopping half a cookie into her mouth before leaving the kitchen to get dressed. "I was looking forward to having a meal with you and Naruto again. We haven't been able to eat together since you started working again." Sakura suddenly turned around to look at Ino. Ino covered her stomach with her arm, hiding the bump poking against her sweatshirt.

Ino wasn't worried about Sakura dumping her on the streets if she found out Ino was pregnant. She wouldn't throw Ino's belongings out the window and tell her to leave. Worst case scenario: Sakura would be disappointed, or she would be surprised with a day or two of the cold shoulder treatment. Sakura's reaction wouldn't compare to the wrath Ino would face when her parents found out….

She couldn't exactly say when she needed (or wanted for that matter) to tell her parents. If only there was a way to pause time and stay frozen in time forever or at least until the child grew up and left, so then no one would know about her pregnancy. That sounded like a solid plan. Now, if only should come conjure a jutsu that allowed her to freeze time limitlessly.

"Do you need anything from the store?" Ino asked, slipping past Sakura and heading towards the door, suddenly eager to walk around and do something exciting before she started working. She also needed to buy shampoo.

"Shampoo."

"Right," Ino mumbled. She slipped on her comfiest shoes and squeezed through the door, locking it behind her.

Konoha's streets weren't as busy as Cloud. The streets weren't that type of busy, a busy where people invaded personal bubbles and made Ino feel uncomfortable. Konoha had the type of busy Ino enjoyed. It was a busy that comforted her. She didn't feel alone, and the atmosphere felt almost cheerful and bright, which seemed contagious to anyone who stepped outside for a second. Also, no one rammed into her every two seconds, and everyone respected each other's space and knew how to say, "Excuse me."

As she walked through the alleyways and streets, Ino never knew how many memories the streets held. Within each store and market stand, there was a memory, good and bad. She was attached to the village, and that was something Kumogakure never could obtain. As Ino passed Ichiraku, she remembered Naruto hauling her there when he wanted to ask Sakura out on a date. He may have done it a million times before, but this time, as he confessed how much he really liked Sakura and how much she meant to him, he needed that moment to be special for Sakura, so she helped. It was evident Naruto liked Sakura, but as he spilled his lovesick guts to Ino that night, she realized the feeling ran deeper than a childhood crush.

The streets were less crowded because it was in the middle of the day, when the children were in school, and the adults were hard at work. Some civilians loitered in the market, chatting with the owners and paying little attention to the items they were about to purchase. At the age of eight, she remembered Naruto and the other boys rampaging through the market, creating havoc and pissing off a lot of grownups. Those were the days….

From the corner of her eye, Ino spotted a sign, _Forever Books, _hanging over a minuscule bookstore that was wedged between a restaurant and a hair salon. She never noticed the store before, and that said something since she walked the same path every day. How did she miss this place?

Ino opened the door, jumping slightly when a bell rang loudly, and crept through the aisles. She tried to avoid the store owner who shuffled through the aisles and organized the books on the shelf. She tried to avoid seeing anyone she knew. Genma sat at a table with his nose buried in a book, which surprised Ino because she never pegged Genma as being the bookworm type of person.

She roamed through the book shelves until she came to her desired section and picked up the first book she found: _So, You're Pregnant? _

"_Pregnancy is a beautiful occurrence. You're bringing life into the world, and hopefully, what you bring has been made out of love." _

Right….

"_You have a long nine months ahead of you, and most of the time, you'll be uncomfortable with an extreme amount of gas, backaches, and awkward bodily functions you never knew about. You'll begin feeling your baby move around, which may feel uneasy and, at some times, downright annoying, but all the pains will be worth it in the end. Nine months of pain and awkwardness will be worth the years of joy your child will bring." _

"Ino?"

Ino snapped the book shut and hid it behind her back as she turned to face the person who (unfairly) snuck up on her. Shikamaru leaned against the shelf with a faint smile on his lips. What was he all smiley about?

"Hi, Shikamaru," Ino breathed, pressing her back against the shelf with the book suspended between her butt and the bookshelf. "How have you been?"

"Busy," he answered in a distant tone as if he were distracted. Ino glanced at Shikamaru and found him staring at her stomach which wasn't hidden under a baggy sweatshirt. Anyone could see her bump behind the old t-shirt she wore. Ino wrapped her arms around her midsection and smiled at Shikamaru when he suddenly looked up at her unexpressive face.

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw you come in from across the street. I just wanted to say hi."

"Hello."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to leave." Ino pushed herself off the shelf and marched past Shikamaru. She felt the book slip from her fingers and drop to the floor.

Ever have those moments where a tragic scene played in slow motion? Ino watched, in slow motion, Shikamaru pick up the book she dropped and flip through the pages. She couldn't stop him from picking up that book as if she were slow to react and unable to move her limbs.

"So, you're pregnant?" For a second, Ino thought Shikamaru asked her, but he only read the title. Shikamaru flipped through the pages again, picking a page and reading for a quick second before looking up at Ino. "Is someone pregnant?" he asked.

Ino shrugged. "I've become curious I guess."

Shikamaru nodded and placed the book in its correct spot which, in that moment, Shikamaru added two and two together. Ino watched Shikamaru's eyes zero in on the lump growing underneath her clothing. "Ino?"

What could Ino do in this situation? Ino faked a sheepish smile. "Surprise."

* * *

"I can't believe this is happening to me," Ino mumbled. "Of all the people, Tsunade picked you!"

"I didn't know this was going to happen!" Shikamaru waved his hands in front of him in defense. "I mean, I knew about your mission since Genma was complaining about being your escort."

"Oh, really? What was Genma saying?"

"He didn't want to be a babysitter for an eight-year-old and a hormonal pregnant woman."

"Huh?" Ino whipped around and glared at Shikamaru. She didn't even notice the eight-year-old girl bump into her. "How the hell would he know that I'm pregnant?"

"Don't curse in front of the kid!" Shikamaru exclaimed, covering the girl's ears. "And, it was just a rumor going around. You did…gain some weight." Shikamaru flinched when Ino threw him another glare. "I didn't believe it if that makes you feel any better."

"I thought I did such a good job hiding it."

"You can't really hide it."

"Please shut up for Yoko's sake. I'm sure she doesn't want to hear baby talk right now." Ino grabbed the little girl's hand and pulled her away from Shikamaru.

"I like babies. I have a, um, little brother."

"Is that right?" Ino asked in a humdrum manner.

"Yeah, if you and, uh, him want to talk about babies, you can."

"I'd rather not."

Back in the bookstore, Shikamaru stood there in silence and just stared at Ino's stomach as if it contained a monster that would gobble him up. He looked astonished, disgusted, and utterly confused. Ino, being a good friend, almost asked him if he were all right, but he decided to open his stupid mouth and ask, "Did we do anything?"

Ino snatched the book from his hands and slammed it into his face before stomping out of the store and back home. When Shikamaru came knocking at her door, Ino ignored him. When he asked, "Can we talk about this?" Ino replied with opening the door then slamming it back in his face. One time, she heard a nice crunch from his nose hitting the door. Sucks it didn't break….

She didn't come out of her apartment until the clock ticked five o'clock and she needed to go meet her client's daughter, Yoko, at the Hokage's office. Shikamaru followed her to the Hokage's office, and there Tsunade assigned Shikamaru as Ino's escort, to which Ino considering throwing herself out the window.

Since they started on their journey, Ino refused to speak with Shikamaru, who was annoyingly persistent with his questions about her pregnancy. She tried to keep conversation with the younger girl, but Yoko kept her answers short and gave no room for conversation.

They were approximately four hours into their journey. Once they arrived at the village, Ino can relax for the night and if she wanted to, have a conversation with Shikamaru. Until then, she didn't need a conversation about her biggest secret especially around an eight-year-old who doesn't even know where babies came from.

* * *

Shikamaru didn't want to believe what Ino accidentally revealed to him. She had to be joking. Then again, all the signs materialized before his eyes as he stared at her stomach. He even realized that she wanted him to kill the kid a few weeks prior to today, when she asked him to punch her in the stomach. Thank goodness Ino stopped him. He wouldn't know what he would do if he found out he killed her baby.

She must have thought it was a mistake if she wanted to rid of the child, but since she stopped him, maybe she wanted to keep it. Shikamaru could only guess what ideas floated around Ino's mind. At this very moment, as they walk through the dark forest of the Fire nation, she could be plotting a scheme to kill Shikamaru so her secret never gets out. Well, doesn't come out _yet_. She couldn't hide her stomach at six months unless she somehow convinced everyone she stuffed her shirts with a balloon or something.

There were already rumors flying about Ino's odd behaviors. She never left her apartment unless she needed to. Usually, she rarely spent her time at her apartment. She socialized with the people in the market place, or lounge around her favorite coffee shop with her best friends around her. Usually, she wore tight fitted clothing that showed off her curves and a teasing amount of skin, but now, clothing covered her entire body.

Some people say she's gained weight and doesn't want anyone to see it, which is somewhat true since she did gain weight. Some say she has an eating disorder and feels insecure about her body all of a sudden. Then, there were the pregnant rumors.

It was never Shikamaru's style to pry and, for a better lack of word, care for others, but Ino changed during her time in Kumogakure. Something happened to Ino before he came to Kumogakure. Shikamaru never noticed just how different Ino became until she stood before him with a pregnancy book in her hands. When he first met Ino back in Kumogakure, he noticed the physical changes, but he never truly wondered why. He now needed to know.

Shikamaru felt pathetic for now noticing how dramatic Ino's transformation was.

Shikamaru wanted his questions answered, but Ino ignored him. She kept her attention on the child, trying to keep Yoko talking. However, she failed miserably. Yoko was a quiet child. She reminded Shikamaru of Hinata, a shy, soft spoken girl. However, Yoko sported chocolate brown hair and matching eyes, looking like Tenten.

"Hey, Shikamaru, my feet are hurting. Do you think we can stay the night and rest?"

"Wouldn't it be faster if we walked home now?" Shikamaru didn't notice they stood at the gates of the village and the girl's parents grinned at him in thanks and gratitude; he waved at them.

Ino waved at the family as they walked into the village. Once they ventured far from hearing distance, Ino turned to him, glaring. "I'm pregnant, Shikamaru. My feet are killing me. We're stopping."

"You're using your pregnancy as an excuse to rest now?"

"Just in this instance."

"Awesome, Ino."

"You would use it as an excuse if you could get pregnant."

"Does this mean we can talk about this now?"

Ino rolled her eyes and turned around, walking into the village. "The room's on you, so it better be a two bed room with the comfiest beds in the whole Fire Nation!"

This was going to be a long night….

* * *

_Muffin loves, loves, loves, loves reviews.  
__Thank you to my readers, reviewers, favoriters, and alerters.  
__Have a majestic day._


	22. Crawl: Expunge

_I'd like to inform everyone I have a new fiction posted. It'd be appreciated it if you gave it a look!_

* * *

**22. Expunge**

* * *

People gawked at her, probably wondering if she was fat or pregnant. For once in her life, she wanted people to think she was fat. She noticed the double takes whenever she walked down Main Street, and she heard children whispering to their parents, "Why is that lady so big?" Their parents would glance in Ino's direction and reply, "She's pregnant…or fat." Awesome. A few more weeks and her baby bump will obviously be a baby bump, and no one will mistake it for a something it's not.

For the past week, Shikamaru always checked on her, asking if she ate anything in the last five seconds or if she experienced any cramping. Ino, whether he called or came to her door, ignored him and continued with her day. As irritating as he might be, he requested she see a doctor, which she agreed to. Within the next day, he called up his mother's doctor and requested for an appointment along with an oath of secrecy—he probably didn't know doctors couldn't reveal anything about their patients, but it was sweet of him to make the doctor cross her heart and hope to die.

"You didn't have to come with me," Ino grumbled, leaning back against the chair, but her stomach stuck out so Ino slouched again, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "You didn't have to do this for me either. I planned on scheduling an appointment soon."

"I'm just curious."

Ino scoffed at his answer. "That's rude. I thought you came for the wellbeing of your teammate, but I guess not," she accused. "You can leave now."

"I'm here for moral support, too, but it's more out of curiosity."

"I thought I told you to leave. You're annoying me." That was another thing about pregnancy that Ino didn't understand. She was rather snappy, especially with Shikamaru, and she had a case of bipolarity. Before being pregnant, Ino thought she was snappy already, but her hormones brought it to another extreme level. Sometimes she felt sympathetic towards Shikamaru, but he asked for it every time he decided to come near her, so it couldn't be helped.

"I think it's the hormones."

"What's that annoying sound?" From corner of her eye, she watched Shikamaru shake his head and lean back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I feel bad that Sakura has to put up with your damn attitude every day," he grumbled under his breath. "I wonder what your parents would say if you talked to them like you do to me."

Ino jabbed a finger in Shikamaru's face, squishing his nose. "I swear if this gets out to my family or friends, I'm blaming you for it!"

Shikamaru slapped her hand away. "They'll have to find out eventually, right? What will you say to everyone when you're the size of a buffalo?"

Ino winced. "A buffalo is a harsh term."

"What are you going to say? You're hiding watermelons under your shirt?"

Ugh, Shikamaru had some nerve.

"Yamanaka Ino," the doctor called just before the tension between the two became awkward.

Without a word to Shikamaru, Ino stood up and followed the doctor through the double doors. The doctor led her into a room that was small and contained a machine with all sorts of contraptions hanging on it and an examination table.

Ino climbed on top of the table and leaned back then watched the doctor turn on the machine, pressing different buttons and hitting the machine with her palms when it wouldn't do what she wanted. Ino looked away, taking in a deep breath.

"Since you haven't had any other appointments, we'll take blood tests after this. You must be curious about the baby, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

The doctor turned to her with a bottle of gel in one hand and the transducer in the other. "Please lift up your shirt."

Ino swallowed the lump in her throat and lifted her shirt until it wrinkled up just below her breast. The doctor—her last name was Akanishi, according to her name tag—applied the cool gel to her stomach, sending shivers and goosebumps across Ino's skin. Ino closed her eyes as the older woman placed the transducer on her stomach, sliding the mechanism across her skin.

Akanishi hummed and jotted notes down on a notepad that she rested on her lap. Ino glared at the ceiling, refusing to take one glance at the screen to the right of her. She didn't want to see that thing, never. Then her doctor said, "There's nothing wrong. Everything looks healthy."

Curiosity overwhelmed Ino. She had to look. Ino had that anxious feeling, like she was a little girl again, and she wanted to open her birthday presents, but her parents wouldn't let her. Except in this case, Ino didn't want this. If she could, she'd take it back.

Ino stared at the screen, watching the alien-like figure kick its legs against her insides. It twisted and turned. As it wiggled around, kicking and punching, Ino concentrated on that certain area, wondering if she could actually feel the jabs, but she only felt the pressure of the transducer pushing against her midsection.

"You can tell the gender! It's a—"

"Please, don't," Ino begged, covering her ears to block out the woman's voice. This nightmare would become more realistic if Ino knew the gender. It needed to remain an object, a parasite that fed off her body. She couldn't even accept the term _baby_, so how could she accept the terms baby _girl _or baby _boy? _The answer to that was simple. She couldn't.

At the age of nineteen—well twenty, if Ino did the math right, Ino did not need a child straddling her hip. She and everyone else knew nineteen was too young to have and support a child. She had too much to live for. She couldn't carry on as a shinobi if she had a child. To top all her problems, this thing belonged to Hidan.

"Are you okay?" Akanishi asked, tapping Ino's shoulder. "You look a little sick."

Ino nodded. "I'm feeling a little sick. Do you think we can reschedule the tests for another day?" She didn't know if it was the baby's movements that made her nauseous, or the reality of being pregnant finally hit her like a wrecking ball, but the room spun, and her ears began to ring.

"Yes, we'll do that. Let's clean you off, and then we can go to the waiting room, and talk there."

"Sure."

Ino didn't expect Shikamaru to be in the waiting room when she arrived, but sure enough, he stood at the window, gazing at the clouds. When the doors clicked shut, he turned around with a warm smile on his face and walked towards Ino. Ino sat down, as did Shikamaru, brushing his knee against Ino's. Ino pulled her leg away and crossed it over her other.

"Since you're about five months now, I'm asking you to start limiting your physical activity. Just because you're a shinobi doesn't mean your stamina will be better than most. You have to think about the baby also. I'll be sending a note to the Hokage, informing her about regulating your missions." Ino's heart dropped. Tsunade would find out everything. Accusations were bound to spring the day Tsunade called Ino to her office to discuss the topic. "Also, I'd like you to start eating more than usual, so you can support yourself and the baby."

Ino nodded, halfheartedly listening. "Is there anything else?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. You might be wondering about it, so I'll spare you the embarrassment of asking it. It is possible to have sex while you're pregnant. You and the baby are at no risk, so you two have the okay."

"Excuse me?"

Akanishi waved her finger between Shikamaru and Ino. "Aren't you two together?"

Shikamaru looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. Ino bowed her head, totally embarrassed. They both mumbled, "No."

"Oh," she said then slowly stood from her seat and hustled out the waiting room.

The waiting room remained silent. No one spoke to each other, especially Shikamaru and Ino. The receptionist whispered into the phone, giggling into the receiver. Ino wanted to chuck a magazine at her face, but that was probably the hormones thinking that.

"So, should we head home?" Shikamaru asked, nudging her with his elbow. Ino stood up and walked out of the room, without waiting for Shikamaru. She heard him catching up behind her, though. "Are you doing okay, Ino?" he asked when he caught up. "If you need to talk about anything, I'm here," he pressed on.

"Can you please leave me alone?" Ino spurted, glaring at Shikamaru's feet. Shikamaru didn't respond, so she left, hoping he wouldn't follow her. He didn't.

* * *

"Why don't you two just get married?" Shikamaru asked as he moved around his game pieces. "You two are conjoined at the hip, and she's having your kid, so what's stopping you from getting married?"

Asuma snickered and took a swig of his beer. "Kurenai is stopping me from proposing. She doesn't want to be tied down. She says marriage is the ultimate form of being caged in. She even says that it's worse than prison."

"She's against it that much?"

"She'll come around eventually. I plan on proposing on her birthday."

"If she says no?"

"We'll still be together, just not married. Kurenai is just—shit, you just beat me." Asuma slapped his forehead, cursing at his ex-student for being a damn genius. Shikamaru smirked around the opening of the can as he chugged the rest of his beer. "How did I let that happen again?" his sensei mumbled, taking a deep drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke into the air.

"If I was completely smashed while you were sober, I'd still beat you."

"Ouch." Asuma smashed his cigarette into his ashtray and sighed. "You look pretty peeved. What's going on?"

What would Ino do if he told Asuma about her being pregnant? Asuma couldn't lecture her about it since he knocked up Kurenai, but he would surely confront of her about it. Then again, both Kurenai and Asuma are in their early thirties while Ino isn't even twenty. He, like Shikamaru, probably thought raising a child at a young age wasn't a good idea. However, if anything, Asuma had to be understanding. Asuma watched Ino grow up, and they shared a close relationship like he did with Shikamaru. At most, he would be disappointment, but would he be so disappointed he would ostracized her?

"It's Ino," Shikamaru said. "She's a troublesome woman."

Asuma chuckled. "You just noticed this?"

"I've known."

"Well, what did you do this time?"

"Do we have to assume that it is always my fault?"

His sensei shrugged. "It's safe to say it's always the guy's fault." Shikamaru nodded. Asuma knew the mind games women played as well, probably better than Shikamaru. Whoever was at fault doesn't matter when it comes to a man and a woman arguing. It's always the man's fault.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that I'm not part of Ino's situation. It's all her fault, and I'm just trying to help her."

"Does she want it?"

Shikamaru hesitated to answer. Did she want his help and company? "No."

"Then leave her alone; she'll come to you when she needs the help." Asuma held out his carton of cigarettes. "Want one? It'll calm you down."

Shikamaru shook his head, but he eyed the cigarette jutting out of the carton. "I'm trying to quit, Asuma. You're not helping me," he grumbled, but he grabbed a stick anyway. "You're a horrible influence," he said with his cigarette hanging between his teeth. Asuma lit it with a chuckle.

With his lips tight around his own cigarette, Asuma agreed with a shrug, "Sometimes."

* * *

Ino crossed her legs as she sat on the examination table and bowed her head. Her eyes forced closure, but she pried them open. She waited and waited and waited. The room gave her a headache. It smelled like cleaning supplies, and the light above her shone too bright.

"Ino?" the doctor greeted when he came through the door.

"Hi," she mumbled, lifting her head up and smiling weakly at him.

"You say you're about five months pregnant now?"

"Yes."

The doctor sat in a chair across from her. "An abortion for a woman in her second trimester is more difficult compared to a woman in her first, and it takes a little longer. The procedure itself doesn't take long. It's the preparations." Ino nodded. She subconsciously traced a circle on her circle as she listened to the man. "We must dilate and soften the cervix first. You'll feeling a lot of cramping and discomfort, but it's normal. Then, in a day or two, we'll take it out. Are you all right with that?"


	23. Crawl: Veracity

_Another hard chapter. I hope it's all right for you all! _

* * *

**23. Veracity**

* * *

Shikamaru envied birds…and clouds—really he envied anything that was free from societal expectations, jobs that require all to have blood on their hands, and most of all, pregnant teammates that are obviously hiding secrets and have dramatically and suspiciously changed into a different person over the course of six months.

On days where people expected him to sit at a desk and review strategies, Shikamaru lounged at his desk and gazed out the window, longing for a chance to morph into a bird and fly away from the job that breathed down his neck twenty-four-seven. Today was one of those days, but he didn't feel like morphing into a bird today—it was too damn hot to do any sort of morphing, so Shikamaru sat there and thought.

Shikamaru liked being in the background, away from the attention. He preferred to live like as a shadow, trailing behind people and acting upon their actions unless he was a captain on a mission, but those instances didn't count; he's on duty. Shikamaru, when off duty, lived to blend in the background and keep the attention away from him. Constantly, people came up to him for advice on mission tactics, and some academy students ask help on their homework, which Shikamaru declines. Sometimes, he hated being a known genius, but if he's smart, he's smart.

Shikamaru crawled below the gossip radar, and he liked it that way. No one gossiped about his latest hookups or screw ups. No one knew anything about him. He perfected blending in with the crowd and side stepped rumors, remaining incognito from gossip mongers.

Really, he couldn't see why anyone would want to gossip about him. His life wasn't exciting by all means. His parents didn't hate each other, and from the looks of them, they didn't want a divorce. His father gawked at his mother with lovesick, puppy dog eyes and vice versa—however, his mother was still grouchy and highly tyrannical, so the lovesickness and the puppy dog eyes don't come very often, but it's there.

Moreover, Shikamaru wasn't on the verge of losing his job, and last time he checked, he wasn't having an affair with his boss—Heaven forbid that he ever touched Tsunade in such way (insert shudder). Also, he didn't exactly have a girlfriend to cheat on. He couldn't call Temari his girlfriend. It was more of co-workers who liked spontaneous, casual sex with a couple strings attached. He couldn't help it if he had feelings for the woman and vice versa. No one could gossip about casual sex anyway since some people enjoyed no-strings-attached sex.

Shikamaru heard footsteps walking down the hallway. As the footsteps grew louder and louder, ceasing in front of his door, Shikamaru glanced down at the blueprint of a gang's hideout the ANBU planned to breech. When the footsteps carried on, Shikamaru leaned back in his chair and glanced out of the window with different scenarios and tactics playing in his head. He would report it to the ANBU later….

Ino brought excitement into Shikamaru's life really. Well, actually, she brought drama into his life. Drama he didn't need. She was pregnant—of all things, she had to be freaking pregnant—and Shikamaru guessed pregnancy can be an exciting thing. However, who in the hell got her pregnant? He knew Ino's habits of one night stands. Perhaps this one night stand went wrong.

Could it be that Takao guy? No, Ino never liked red heads all that much. Maybe it was Konan. He was tall, dark, and handsome…ish—Ino's type of guy!

Shikamaru wondered what she planned to do with the baby after she gave birth. She never mentioned anything about her plans. Then again, she refused to inform him about her situation….

Above the mystery of who impregnated her, another question hovered in the air. What happened to her? Outgoing, fearless Ino disappeared and a soft spoken, jumpy Ino replaced her. However, her brutishness still remained, which was something Shikamaru wanted to disappear….

She kept a secret, and he intended to find out exactly what it was. She was hurt, and he intended to comfort her, give her all the support she needed. Shikamaru was, after all, her teammate and a friend. However, Ino didn't want a hand to hold as she tried to pick herself up, so all Shikamaru could do was stand behind her with his arms open wide, ready to catch her if she fell.

Shikamaru slammed a fist in the table as an idea sparked in his noggin. What if she could asexually reproduce?

* * *

**Ba dum. Ba dum. Ba dum. Ba dum. Ba dum. **

Ino wiped her clammy hands on her pants, nervous. Her stomach hurt…badly, like she suffered from severe food cramps after stuffing her face with too much food during breakfast. Or maybe it was because this thing knew she tried to abort it several days ago, and it avenged itself by making her feel uncomfortable with relentless pressure on her spine and hard kicks to her bladder, sending her to the bathroom almost every time.

Well, this _thing_ had a heartbeat. Ino kept her eyes closed and listened to the rhythmic beating of the child's heart, which sounded like the wings of a hummingbird, a constant rhythmic drumming. This _thing_ was real, not a nightmare Ino could wake herself from if she simply pinched herself awake—she already tried that. If it wasn't her stomach that made her realize the veracity of her pregnancy, it was the heartbeat of the child.

She felt the transducer slide across her skin, and she heard Akanishi hum as if she discovered something worth opening her eyes. So, Ino opened her eyes and glanced at the screen that held an image of a figure the size of a pear. In amazement, Ino gawked at the figure wiggle inside of her with its tiny arms and legs stretching out in her. She could even see the two-chambered heart beating as she listened to it.

She heard her pink haired friend gasp in amazement. Ino glanced up at Sakura, who had been feverishly clutching Ino's hand and cutting circulation from her fingers. Ino squeezed Sakura's hand. Sakura looked at Ino then back up at the screen, watching the baby move. Her eyes widened in bewilderment.

The night Ino went to the clinic, she didn't come home till early morning. When she arrived, Sakura sat on the couch with a book in one hand and Naruto using her lap as a pillow. Sakura combed her fingers through his hair with one hand and turned the book's pages with the other. Ino, trying to be quiet, squeezed through the door, but with her luck, she accidentally bumped into the wall. When Sakura found her curled up against the wall, on the verge of tears, she cradled Ino in her arms. That was when Ino decided it was time she told Sakura her secret. Sakura's reaction to the news surprised her. She jumped up, spun around a few times, and with utter, disgusting delight, invited herself to Ino's next appointment.

Akanishi jotted down notes and then said, "It has a healthy heart beat."

It had a heartbeat, a freaking heartbeat.

Akanishi rolled the transducer around her skin, creating a better view of the baby's body. "Are you sure you don't want to know the gender?"

"No," Ino mumbled. She wasn't ready to know that.

"All righty, then," Akanishi sighed as she turned off the machine and wiped the gel off the transducer and Ino's stomach. She then continued, "The results of the blood tests will be given in the next week, so I'll call you when that happens. You're doing well, Ino. I hope you have a good day."

"Thank you," Ino whispered, hopping off the examination table and leaving the hospital with a heartbeat playing in her mind.

She walked down Main Street in heavenly bliss. Every step felt like she floated, never touching the cement sidewalk. It didn't matter who saw her saunter down the walkway because for some odd reason, she felt happy again, happy to be alive. It must be the hormones.

"I heard…." Ino slowed her pace as she listened to the woman walking behind her talk to another. She couldn't catch the rest of the woman's sentence, but Ino kept her ears alert, waiting for a response from the other.

"Is that right?" another woman gasped. "Just nineteen and she's already doing things like that," she whispered back. "What do you think her father thinks about her doing that?"

"Apparently he's fine with it since he's doing his job like he doesn't know that Ino goes around."

"I hope she's proud to be a mother at such a young age…."

Ino stopped and turned around. The two women, two older kunoichi, stared back with their jaws hanging down. Their eyes danced around her body, eyeing her stomach first then her faces and back to her stomach. These people disgusted her, gossiping about her when they didn't truly know what happened.

"Ino," Sakura mumbled, grabbing her wrist but once Ino took a step towards the two women, she didn't make an effort to restrain her. Ino took a step then another and another until she marched towards the women, who bounced from foot to foot, panicking and wondering what they should do. Ino picked up the pace and walked between the two women, straight for the Hokage's office with the heartbeat still on her mind.

Ino wanted people to know the truth behind her pregnancy. However, those two kunoichi back in town weren't people that deserved to know. They were the people that would have to guess and continue to tell their lies. There were people that did deserve to know about it, like Shikamaru, like Tsunade…. They needed to know the truth before the rumors reached their ears.

She passed blurs and bumped into figures with no faces; Ino had one goal in mind, and that was to go to the Hokage, and maybe, talk about the events that led to her disappearance in Kumo. If not, then Ino would have to wait until her interrogation.

The scarlet, double doors appeared before her before Ino fully understood what exactly she needed and wanted to do. Ino froze as her knuckle connected with the wooden doors. Before Ino could run for the hills, Tsunade opened the door with a gentle smile on her lips. She beckoned Ino to come inside, which she reluctantly did. Her heart flurried into a rapid pace, and it felt like it grew two sizes bigger as Ino sat herself in the chair placed in front of Tsunade's desk.

Tsunade leaned against the desk, which gave a loud creak. "I had my suspicions when you walked through those doors a few weeks ago," she said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her doctor's note. "Eighteen weeks pregnant at the time, meaning you were also pregnant while stationed in Kumogakure, correct? Why didn't you say anything, Ino?"

"I was scared," Ino confessed, keeping her eyes on her feet. "I was going to wait until my interrogation, but I can't wait anymore. I can explain everything, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "We'll have to wait until then. Now isn't the best time for stories. My question is what you plan to do with this child?"

What did Ino want to do with it? She couldn't abort it and would never. "I wanted an abortion. The day I had my ultrasound, I went to the clinic to abort it. I'm still so confused on what I'm doing with myself. I'm wondering if I should have aborted it, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do it. The father is a monster, but that doesn't necessarily mean this thing—er, child should be expunged. It has possibilities."

A knock came at the door then a hushed, "Lady Tsunade, it's Kotetsu."

Hastily, Tsunade said, "You do realize you can be stripped of your occupation if you decide to raise this child. There are times when shinobi are able to raise their children, but it's not easy. I want you to seriously think about your decision. I understand that you're an adult now, but you're also very young."

"I understand."

"One more thing: do you parents know?"

"No."

"I suggest you inform them soon before things start becoming complicated. You're dismissed."

* * *

He contemplated seventy-two ways to commit suicide in his office. Shikamaru loathed his desk job, really. He _loved_ being lazy and doing nothing, yes, but being cooped up in a tiny room when he could be outside gazing at clouds and daydreaming was torturous and should be against the law. It seemed like Tsunade wanted him to waste his life cloud gazing through opaque windows when he should be analyzing blueprints and statistics of enemies. He'd rather be up and about, kicking ass and rescuing damsels in distress, and everyone knew how much Shikamaru hated doing that.

For the past three hours, when pondering about life bore him, he halfheartedly played tic-tac-toe with himself. When that didn't entertain him, he went to work with an hour of the work day left to spare. He sighed and flipped through the pages of a packet that offered blueprints of the hideouts the ANBU wanted to ambush. Quickly, he scanned the outline and within second, he carried over two-hundred tactics. Eventually, he'd narrow everything down and present the strategy he thought would be best.

With fifteen minutes left of work, a soft knock sounded from his door.

"What?" Shikamaru growled. If it was another ANBU officer with a folder of more blueprints or statistics of gang leaders, he might shove a pencil up his nose.

"Shikamaru," a muffled voice said, "Can I come in?"

He grunted and flipped the packet shut, reaching for another on the mountainous stack piled up on the corner of his desk. Shikamaru glared up at the intruder as they cracked the door open. As he opened his mouth to provide some verbal abuse, Ino squeezed through the door then quietly closed the door behind her. Shikamaru jumped from his seat, accidentally sending his packets and work flying to the ground.

"Ino," he stammered while awkwardly trying to collect the bundle of papers on the ground and pull up a seat for her with a foot at the same time. "What are you doing here?" He looked at her with a sheepish grin. Ino stared at her feet with glazed over eyes as if she wanted to cry but fought against the tears. "Ino?"

His teammate shook her head, coming back to reality. She scanned his office and the state of bewilderment Shikamaru was in. "If you're busy, I can come to your house later," she suggested, already turning towards the door with a hand on the door knob.

"No, you just caught me, uh…off guard. What did you want to talk about? You can sit down if you want."

Ino shook her head. "I won't be long. I just needed to talk to you about something."

"Well, what is it?" Shikamaru remembered the girl named Ino he met back in Kumogakure, the girl whose eyes held no emotion and the face that held no expression. It was the Ino that stood in front of him.

"I'm telling my parents about…this." She gestured to her belly, a swollen bump that looked too big for Ino's thin frame. "I'm just scared," she continued. "What if they ask about the father?" A silver tear dripped from the corner of her eye, sliding down her porcelain skin. Shikamaru wanted to reach over and wipe it away, but he knew he'd receive a blow to the stomach if he did. "He's a horrible man, but what am I supposed to say to everyone?" she cried, exploding into tears. Shikamaru pushed a box of tissues in her direction, which Ino grabbed a handful to dab at her flowing eyes.

The scene broke his heart into a million pieces. He hated seeing his friend in such a vulnerable state, but he was her friend, and if he could, just for a moment, switch places with Ino so he could experience her pain for her, he would. Sucks that life chose to crash on its victims at unexpected moments.

"I know exactly what you need to do, Ino."

Through the clump of tissues she buried her face in, she said, "If you're thinking about finding the father, I'd rather jump out the window right now. "

"No, what if I were the father?"

Before he could see Ino's expression, she threw the handful of used tissues at him. "Have you gone freaking insane?" she shouted. "Do you have the slightest idea what you would get yourself into? My father would kill you if you were the father. Your father would kill you, and that's if Sakura doesn't kill you first. That's the worst idea I've ever heard." Ino rolled her eyes, turned and left.

* * *

_I like reviews! :) _  
_I also like alerts and favorites, too! _  
_Thank you for everything, and have a good day!_


	24. Crawl: News

_Holy, holy! What a nice surprise, yeah? A quick, quick update! For some miracle, I had a nice, lazy day, so I took about three hours of tanning and writing. Thus, I wrote this chapter, and I have a gnarly tan! I hope you all enjoy it, and sorry, but the next update won't be so quick!_

* * *

**24. News**

* * *

The lamp shattered against the forearm he used to shield his face. He felt the glass pierce his skin, and he soaked in the painful ecstasy with delight and enjoyed the tingling sensation he loved so much. However, he couldn't dwell in his pleasure for long.

"What do you mean you can't find her?" his client shouted, searching for another object to hurl in Hidan's direction.

"She's gone, obviously. If I really knew where she was, why the fuck would I say, 'I can't find her'? Unless, today's fucking Opposite Day."

The cloaked figure flung three pencils at Hidan's face, missing his face just be a hair. Hidan remained still with hard, resistant eyes. "Don't start treating me like I'm some idiot. Go find her, Hidan!"

"Where in the fuck would I look? She could be across the world by now." Hidan had better damn things to do than look for a girl. She was gone, not a problem, but for some reason, his client treated her like she was some sort of powerful threat.

His client was silent for a second, probably trying to think of possible places for her to hide. Or maybe he just wanted to stop talking and make things awkward between Hidan and him. Hidan started to fidget in the silence then his client hummed, scratching his chin. "You said she was a ninja?"

"I believe so. I'm sure a civilian doesn't know how to handle a kunai…or walk on walls."

"Meet me here tomorrow."

Hidan questioned his client's intentions. It bugged Hidan not being in the circle of plans his client was concocting in his brain. His client sauntered out of the room, not filling Hidan in with his plans of finding the girl named Ino, and Jashin, he just wanted to slice the guy in half. He never worked with a man more frustrating than Kakuzu. Hidan claimed that if he survived working two years with that money crazed man, he'd be able to work with anyone. He was fucking wrong.

* * *

Ino recognized this image as she looked in the mirror, trying to motivate herself before the day's events unraveled into one horrendous mess. She knew it was going to happen because she decided to tell her parents, and knowing her parents, it wasn't going to turn out pretty. It was the day she needed to tell her parents the partial truth. One day, when this particular day was a distant day in her memory, she would tell her parents the real truth behind the pregnancy. Until then, they just needed to know that she was having a baby.

She needed to reveal her secret before her stomach gave it away, and by the size of her stomach, it might be too late. She was pushing nineteen weeks, and her stomach wasn't going wait for her to tell her parents before it started growing some more. Her parents might know before Ino said anything, but Ino hoped they wouldn't notice the bump even though it was hard to miss.

Sakura and Shikamaru were done with. The Hokage knew about her pregnancy and whoever listened through the vents probably knew her secret, but Ino didn't want to think about that. They knew the epitome of evil grew inside her, and they knew how horrible the man was, more or less, but they didn't know what happened—if they were smart, she hoped they knew she wouldn't easily sleep with an "evil, horrible man" and connect the ideas together.

The people that deserved to know the most were her parents, the people that raised her and gave her a good life before she moved out. What would they think? Was their daughter a failure for getting pregnant at such a young age by a man she didn't know? Maybe, Ino hoped they would accept it and support her like Sakura and Shikamaru did? When Ino went to bed the night before, she tossed and turned through the night as she pondered the what if's. Thank goodness she moved out years ago, so they couldn't kick her out, and Ino did pay her own bills, so they couldn't cut her off. They couldn't do anything to her, except disregard her, be disappointed. If Ino's parents kicked her out or stopped financially supporting her, she'd be able to live, but if they deserted her in a time of need, she didn't know what she would do.

At snail's pace, Ino walked out of her room, wearing a baggy tunic that hid her growing belly fairly well. On top of that, she wore a summer jacket that hid the baby bump better. She looked mismatched, but Ino didn't care. As long as her stomach didn't reveal her secret before her mouth did.

Before leaving the room, she checked her room, looking for anything she missed. She noticed an envelope sitting on her pillow. Ino picked it up and looked at the address. Smiling, she tucked it in her pocket and left her apartment. As Ino left the apartment building, she slipped the envelope in the outgoing mail.

Her apartment wasn't far from her parents' home, the flower shop. While in Kumogakure, she missed her flower shop so much, but that was before she found out she was pregnant. Knowing she was pregnant now, she didn't want to step foot in the flower shop because her parents, the people she wanted to avoid the most, were there.

What was she going to say to her parents? How about "Hi, I'm pregnant. Okay, bye!" That would take less time but would piss them off the most. Maybe she could go into a long story that doesn't relate to her news, or start reminiscing the good times, so they could relax, and then, she would lay the news on them!

Ino sighed. Nothing seemed right.

A kid ran past her, hollering a name. Two more kids ran past her, screaming the same name. For once, Ino wanted to be young again, so she could run around with no worries, and the biggest problem she had was what shoes she wanted to wear that day.

Her childhood home didn't change much. She recognized each hole and crevice in the wall, and remembered how some of them formed. Like the hole underneath the window. Chouji heard someone call him fat, and he sent a fist through the wall in his usual temper tantrum. Her mother gave him an earful after that, and since then, Chouji made sure no Yamanaka's Flower Shop walls were close before he sent a fist through a wall.

The pink banner with "Yamanaka Flowers" painted in purple still hung above the door, still torn at the edges with the letters fading. Her father never liked it because it was pink, but Ino and her mother double-teamed him into making him like the banner. Good old times…. But now, this shop, her home, would soon be the scene of a new nightmare.

On the glass door hung a closed sign, but Ino pushed the door open anyway, knowing her mother always left the doors open—a horrible habit of hers. Taking a deep breath, she walked in with a pleasant smile on her face and the news on her mind.

"Mom? Dad?"

* * *

Her stomach flipped in all directions, summersaulting and cartwheeling all around. She wondered if it was the child kicking at her insides, giving Ino that uncomfortable feeling that suggested she needed to puke or maybe that was the nervousness that gave her that feeling. Her ears pounded as blood rose to her face while the silence between her and her parents continued.

They looked concerned, their brows furrowing into a worried V, and their lips compressed into a hard line as they awaited Ino to speak. Looking at her parents, Ino wanted to keep her news to herself and never say a word to them until the hospital calls and says, "Congratulations; you're grandparents!" No, she couldn't have that.

Her parents expected her to speak first, revealing the reason why she suddenly came to visit. The anticipated silence made her uneasiness worse, but she needed to speak soon because Heaven forbid one of them begins to speak. Ino didn't need assumptions because then, assumptions and truth would mix and would create a confusing chaos.

"Ino?" her mother whispered. "What is it?"

Ino wanted to punch herself for coming to her parents' home. She glared at her clenched fists that rested in her lap. Impatience rolled of her like tidal waves, engulfing the room as both her and her parents grew anxious during the ubiquitous silence. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at her parents but quickly lowered her eyes when her mother smiled at her with those baby blue eyes the color of the skies on the clearest day in July which always held warmth and a sort of acceptance—at least, that's what Ino wanted them to hold in this instance.

"Mom, Dad—" Ino cut herself off, seconds thoughts flooding into her mind. She could break their aging hearts. What would happen? The answer scared her. Her mother was already a fragile woman, with the twist of her pinky, her whole body would break. Her father would be hurt, but he wouldn't talk about it unless he was drunk or with his best friends. She should keep her pregnancy to herself, but eventually, her parents would find out when her stomach grew to the size of a watermelon.

"Do you want to tell us something, Sweetie?" her mother asked. Ino wiped her sweating hands on her pants. She wanted to jump out of that chair and book it out the door, but she's made it this far, so she inhaled a deep breath. She was going to do it. No turning back…

"I'm pregnant."

Ino kept her eyes on her hands, but she listened to her mother inhaling a sharp breath, and she could even hear her father's jaw drop. Hesitant, Ino looked up to see the scene of disappointment and perplexities unfold before her. Her mother, with tears brimming her sky blue eyes, bit her lip, resisting the urge to sob. Her orbs held sadness as they wandered around the room, searching for a place to look, anywhere but Ino would suffice.

"Who's the father?" her father asked. The question she never wanted to be asked, but it was inevitable. Her father wanted to kick ass, and knowing who the bastard was that did this to his daughter would take him one step closer to killing the unlucky culprit.

His hard eyes glaring at her struck Ino frozen. She lowered her eyes to her conjoined hands, unable to speak.

"_Who the hell is the father, Ino_?" Inoichi slammed his palms into the table, startling Ino and her mother. Ino balled her clothing into shaking fists as she listened her father stomp around the dining table, spurting profanities and death threats to Ino and the "asshole". She closed her eyes, trying to remembering the pap that kissed her forehead and tucked her into bed at night, but the crashes and the stomps invaded her mind. .

When she looked up once again, her mother placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he ripped his shoulder out of her reach and turned to Ino, with the look of disgust and disapproval etched into his glare. "I can't believe you," he mumbled, glaring at her from head to toe. His eyes paused at her stomach for a long second, and then he turned towards the door and left with her mother trailing behind him.

Her mom paused at the door and turned to Ino with tears swelling in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ino."

* * *

He never did much at night. Usually, Shikamaru tried to fall asleep, but that was a failure, so he welcomed himself at Ino's place where they would talk about everything. That was his agenda every night, but since they came back from Kumogakure, everything changed. Ino had her problems to worry about, and Shikamaru didn't know what to do, so he stayed out of her way.

She didn't want his help anyway, so he was fine going on his own. She won't be on his mind anymore since Temari headed for Konohagakure tonight. Temari would do an excellent job of erasing Ino from his mind.

He heard the door slide open followed by soft whimpers. Shikamaru crawled down the shingles and looked over the ledge of his roof. Ino sat on his porch, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. She looked up and with an embarrassed chuckle, she sniffed, "Hi."

"Ino," he said while dropping from his roof. "It's almost two in the morning. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I-I can't sleep," she stuttered. Shikamaru sat next to her, brushing his knee against hers. She didn't do anything to inch away from him. She sat there, rubbing her swollen, blood shot eyes. "My parents hate me, Shikamaru." It surprised him when she leaned her head on his shoulder. He wandered if it was all right wrap his arm around her shoulders or pat her back. "I had the chance to get rid of it, and I didn't. I'm so stupid! If I did, they wouldn't hate me," she cried, hiccupping fresh tears.

He was clueless. He never comforted crying girls before! Shikamaru rubbed Ino's back, hushing her and cooing that everything will be all right. "You aren't to blame, Ino."

"Don't fucking say that! I'm their kid! I'm the one who's pregnant. They can't be mad at anyone else but me!" She buried her head deeper into his shoulder, making him wince, but he continued to rub her back.

"What about the father? He's part of it, just as much as you are."

Ino remained silent with tears streaming down her face and the occasionally sniff. Shikamaru stopped rubbing her back and resorted to wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer into his side. She tensed, but she let it happen.

"I wish I could go back in time then I would have never accepted that damn mission; I wouldn't have met him, and I never would have gotten pregnant. I wouldn't be here crying in front of you. Everything would stay the same. You would be at my place, and we would talk at my dining table all night." She closed her eyes and sniffed one more time. "I could still go on mission with you, Chouji, and Asuma-sensei. I would still be happy."

Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his hand down her arm. Ino pushed away from Shikamaru and smiled. "I—" he started until Ino collapsed, falling back into Shikamaru's chest. "Ino, are you okay!" he cried, shaking the blonde woman. She responded with soft snores, making him chuckle. She's gone through so much stress and worry for the past few weeks; she probably hasn't had a decent sleep in ages. Today, the day she announced the news to her parents, was her breaking point. She had the biggest meltdown that she knocked herself out. That probably wasn't good for the baby….

Shikamaru picked Ino up in his arms and walked her to his room, tucking her into his bed. Her face held innocence, something he hasn't seen on her face in years, and as she soundlessly curled into a tight ball, she reminded him of the cute, twelve-year-old that was afraid of the dark and would sleep next to the fire or make everyone sleep to the sides of her. As he thought about the idea of turning twenty almost scared Shikamaru because they were getting old, and soon that sleeping face he gazed at would turn wrinkled and old, but he believed it would still hold the same beautiful that she held now.

He slid the door closed and chuckled, shaking his head. In the morning, he'll tell her to calm it down a notch. Until then, he'll take a nice, long walk.

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything? It'd be bad if you forgot something important while you were there. Did you remember your toothbrush?"

"Holy, _Mom_, can you chill out for a second? I'll be gone for three weeks, not a lifetime," she joked, shoving her brother into the wall with a wide grin playing on her face. "And yes, Kankuro, I have my toothbrush—not like it's a hassle to buy one if I forgot it, but whatever."

"It's economical if you remembered to bring your toothbrush. You save money."

"Says you, the guy who _always_ forgets his toothbrush."

"That's why I'm telling you, Temari! You don't want to end up like me."

Temari giggled, shaking her head at her puppeteer brother. "I'll be home soon. Make sure Gaara doesn't try to cook again please. I don't want to come back with the house burned down…again. Bye, Kankuro."

"Bye!"

The sun began to set in her desert paradise with the sky turning hues of dull pinks, oranges, and yellow. Just beyond the fading clouds, she could see the full moon illuminating, being her nightlight for the long evening journey ahead of her.

In three days, she'll be in Konoha in time for planning the Chunin exams. She'll see Shikamaru once again, after six long months without his long arms around her and his warm kisses. She missed waking up with someone's arms around her waist, and for the next three weeks, she'll be in another paradise. Until then, she'll have to deal with sand in her sandals.

* * *

_Muffin likes reviews, alerts, and favorites._  
_I also found my new love of private messages. Those are nice, too._  
_Feedback is smiled upon!_  
_Have a fantastic day!_


	25. Crawl: Dad

_Does anyone else think about life while in the shower? Well, while in the shower, I thought about Glee's cover of "Baby, It's Cold Outside", and viola, I thought of a new story. In the same second, I knew the summary and the title. It's called "The F Word"._

* * *

**25. Dad**

* * *

Yes, figuratively speaking, she dug herself into a hole, a deep one at that, to the point where she could look up and could only see a glint of light the size of the point of a needle. She sat alone in her dim chasm as little chants and voices chattered constantly in her head, laughing at her, mocking her, mentally beating her. Ino wanted to give up and let the voices consume her into nothingness and become a hollow shell. However, an odd force pulled her away, away from melting down and burrowing deeper into her tunnel. Shikamaru and Sakura had their grip on her shoulders, holding her back. She let them, and that's when they began to build a ladder. But…

"Dad, can you please listen to me for a second?" Ino begged, following her father down the hallway. When she came into the kitchen that morning, he took one hard look at her, stood up, and left, stomping out of the room like he was a child being put in timeout. How could he be so immature about this situation? Last Ino checked, Ino was the child between the two. "Okay, how about a half a second?" she bargained as Inoichi rushed into his room and slammed the door in his daughter's face before she could wedge a foot between the door and the frame. "No," Ino called, "maybe a quarter of a second?"

No answer.

Inoichi, her father, refused to listen, speak, or look at her. She was a disgrace, nothing in his eyes. The look of shame plagued his eyes ever since Ino revealed the news. He shunned her, gave her the cold shoulder, and acted as if he wanted nothing to do with her, as if she was a failure. She wasn't though, but how could she show her father that?

This light that was so small that she needed to squint would still shine and grow. She could see it with the help from her friends, but her father's inability to accept her and the baby kept Ino distant from obtaining her light. His acceptance was essential for Ino to finally touch that light and feel its warmth against her skin.

"Don't worry about him," her mother soothed, smiling at Ino when she looked back at her mother. She placed a hand on Ino's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "He'll be fine. He's just in shock, only finding out yesterday. Give him time, Baby."

Give him time? There was only so much time until she popped out this child!

Ino rolled her watering eyes. "What about you, Mom? Do you want me to leave?"

"No," she cooed, chuckling and wiping the dripping tears with her index finger. "Honestly, Ino, pregnant or not, twenty or two years old, I still have to take care of you. I guess that means I also have to care for my grandchild." Again, she set a hand on Ino's shoulder and guided her to the dining table where they sat next to each other.

Grandchild? That word sounded foreign coming out of her mother's mouth, like she was speaking a different language…or gibberish. The term made Ino quiver in displeasure as if the word was a nail scraping down a blackboard.

"So, what are your plans for the future?" she continued, replacing the sympathetic smile with a happier, more pleasant smile, the smile Ino was familiar with. "What kind of formula do you think you want to use? I can buy that for you. Do you plan to breast feed?"

Formula? Breast feed? What?

"Um, I don't really know. Mom, I don't think I want to keep it anyway."

Her mother hummed, leaning forward. "Why? Is it the father?" she pressed, earning a suspicious side glance from Ino. Her face was pure curiosity, but there was no doubt that she would inform Inoichi about what Ino said.

Ino pursed her lips together and waited for another question.

"How far along are you?"

"Twenty weeks almost," Ino answered, thinking about to her calendar that numbered off the weeks. She peeked at the calendar hanging on the refrigerator door. The days were crossed off in red ink. Looking at the calendar, she knew she forgot an important date, but what was it. Ino thought hard, staring at the calendar and visualizing her calendar at home. Interrogation was in two days. Shit.

"I never thought you'd be that far. When's your due date?"

"Sometime around October, I know that. They gave me a date, but Dr. Akanishi said that it could be two weeks prior or two weeks after, so frankly, the date isn't useful."

"I know, but the due date gives you a date to look forward to…kind of. The doctor told me my due date was October 23rd, and it turned out you decided to come out a month before. Honestly, when the baby wants out, it wants out, and there's nothing you can stop."

Childbirth didn't cross Ino's thought often because she had the goal of aborting it, but that turns out super well—in other words, for the sarcasm hinting inept, it was a failure. Ino now had one of two options: 1) Keep the child and learn to love it even though it would be a constant reminder of being taken advantage of and that the father was an S-ranked shinobi in the famous criminal organization, the Akatsuki; 2) Put it up for adoption, then she wouldn't have the burden of a daily reminder and stinky diapers. Also, she'd be able to live life as a normal twenty-year-old kunoichi.

Adoption sounded better of the two. However, wouldn't she feel guilty for giving it away? She's miss the opportunity to watch a child of her own grow and develop into a human being and possibly a great shinobi. Ino had to admit, with her brains and psyche abilities mixed with the Hidan's ability that Ino heard about, her child could become a gifted shinobi. Furthermore, her mother always wanted grandchildren and rooted Ino to have kids, so she could take care of them while Ino was away for whatever reason. She wanted to play with them, read books to them, and become their lovely grandmother. If she gave this baby away, Ino would take the privilege from her mom.

Ino wanted to punch herself in the face, but that would hurt, so she refrained. Instead, she listened tentatively to her mother babble about the times of Ino's babyhood and the baby bottles she recommended.

* * *

He was bored. Shikamaru yawned for the fifth time in that minute and stared at the paperwork that sat in front of his drooping head, on the verge of falling asleep. When Tsunade didn't order him to instigate mayhem and mischief in different village or plan strategies, he sits at a desk and does her paperwork, signing her signature—she approved of it—so many times that when he had to sign his own paperwork, he usually started writing her signature. At least, for such a lackluster job, she paid him well, sometimes better than missions.

Shikamaru signed the Hokage's signature on the final piece of paper and then sat there, wondering what he should do now that he finished his tasks. On days when Tsunade required him to be at a desk but gave him no paperwork to read and fill out, he twirled in his spinning chair, so that's what he did. Shikamaru glanced at the doorway and listened for any footsteps approaching before he tucked his knees into his chest and gave the chair a hard push from the desk, sending his chair spinning in dizzying circles. Just when Shikamaru could go for another round, he heard a chuckle.

Genma leaned against the door, grinning at Shikamaru, who dropped his legs from his chest and straightened his posture into a more professional stance. "Bored much?" the older man asked, still flashing that cocky grin. "Why are you still here, man? Shouldn't you be…well, not here?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nah."

Genma let the room fall silent for a long minute before he asked, "Did you hear Temari is coming into town soon?" Shikamaru swore Genma gossiped just as bad as girls, probably worse.

Shikamaru scoffed and rolled his eyes at his co-worker. "I signed her visitor's pass. Of course I know she's coming to town. What of it?" Genma wanted information that's what, and Shikamaru knew it.

"I just wanted to know your opinion. Last time I checked, you two were rather cozy with each other," he said with accusing eyes while he switched his senbon to the other side of his mouth. He grinned when Shikamaru looked up at him with lazy, tired eyes.

"Whether we're 'cozy' or not is really none of your business. It's not like that anyway, Genma." That was a lie. Temari and him have gotten _very _"cozy" in the past couple years. They've had their moments in his bed with the blankets covering their naked bodies with the summer night breeze blowing through his window, or they would cuddle under a tree when they should have gone over exam proctors. They've gotten "cozy" in the academy's closets—geez, they've violated so many closets…. Temari liked spontaneous sex, and Shikamaru couldn't complain. He was there to enjoy the ride.

"I get what you're saying."

"You do?"

"You can't be with Temari anymore because you're with that Ino chick, right?"

"Genma, you're nearly forty but you gossip like you're a sixteen-year-old girl. There has to be something wrong with that picture."

Genma sneered at the younger man. "I'm turning thirty-five, you prick. Anyway, so you are getting together with Ino?"

"I never said that."

"That's right. You avoided my question, so it must be right. I never guessed you'd be the one to go for pregnant women. I mean, she's a babe, but…she's pregnant, Shikamaru. What would the father think if he knew you were going after his girl?"

"The father has no problem with it at all," Shikamaru mumbled, glaring at Genma, who looked at him puzzled.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the father."

"You told him _what?_" Ino wanted—and Shikamaru desperately needed this—to slap Shikamaru so hard that his eyeballs switched sockets, his brain flipped around, and his nose winded up on the back of his head. What the hell was he thinking? How could he do that?

"Genma was being nosy and an ass, so I told him the first thing I thought of. Sorry, but now, the rumors about that pimp daddy getting you pregnant is cleared."

That was new. "Pimp daddy?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Really?"

"I've heard worse," he said.

"Don't bother." Ino already heard many rumors, despite not announcing her pregnancy, but her bump was what gave everything away. Walking through hallways and the streets, she listened to her colleagues whisper behind her back, gossiping about how Ino wanted a child so she went to a sperm donor, or how she didn't know who the father was because she sleazed around Konoha, or—this had to be the best on she's ever heard—Kakashi is the father. Ino couldn't wrap her head around the latter since she spoke to Kakashi rarely, but she had to admit to having a period of time when she lusted for the older man—really, she just lusted for older _men _but Kakashi was number one on the list, then it was Genma, but now after today, she wanted nothing to do with him! Anyway, those were all the _normal_ rumors.

"Do you know what's gonna happen now?" Ino wailed, pulling at her short hair.

Shikamaru grabbed her hands and relaxed her fingers, prying her fingers out of her hair one-by-one. "I told you that stress isn't good for the baby. Can you calm down?"

"How can I calm down when you're such a dumbass? Now, everyone will talk about you behind your back! I hope you can handle it."

"I pretty sure I can handle it. As long as you know the truth, nothing else matters right?"

Ino never thought about it that way. She knew what really happened, but the rumors seemed better compared to the disgusting truth. Maybe she could delude herself into thinking Shikamaru did father the child, and everything would seem brighter, better.

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

Ino gasped mockingly. "Shikamaru wants to go for a walk? Am I dead? Pinch me." Ino held out her arm, waiting for Shikamaru to pinch it. He gave her a you're-kidding-me stare, forcing Ino to pinch herself. "Ow, I'm not dead," she mumbled while rubbing her arm over the red spot that formed on her forearm.

"I'm serious. Let's go for a walk."

"I'm pregnant. Do you remember what the doctor said? No physical activity."

"She said limit your physical activity, which I think is a paradox because she said you're okay to have sex, but it's not okay to go for a light walk?" Ino blushed at the comment, but she looked away, hiding the redness from her teammate. "Since when did you listen to what the doctor says anyway?"

"Since there's a person living inside me?"

"Has that ever stopped you from going on a silly walk?"

"I've never had a person live inside me before, so I wouldn't really know."

Shikamaru—Ino didn't see it coming—grabbed her hand and laced his fingers between hers, pulling her out her apartment and down the stairs. She felt the heat radiate between her fingers; suddenly, her hands was the hottest part of her body, palms pulsating against each other and sharing warmth. Ino needed to pull away and cover her cherry red cheeks away from him, but she didn't; she kept her hand there and even gently squeezed his hand.

She walked blindly, following Shikamaru and keeping her eyes glued to his sandals until she noticed the carpet that belonged to the lobby. Ino looked up and unclasped her hand from his, but she continued to walk closely behind him. He didn't look back to check on her, but he slowed down, waiting for her to walk beside him.

"Where do you want to walk?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"You forced me to go for a walk. I thought you had a place in mind. Can we just go somewhere where no one can see us?"

"Why? Are you embarrassed people will see us?" he mocked. "Technically, according to our lie, we're together."

"That really doesn't mean anything," Ino mumbled, eyeing at a couple who walked past them. They smiled at her when Ino made eye contact with them, and instantly, their eyes trailed down to her stomach. Ino walked next to Shikamaru, blocking their view of her, and wrapped her arms around her midsection. "If you hadn't noticed, my stomach is huge, and people are looking."

"Isn't that natural?"

"Well, considering I haven't been pregnant before, I wouldn't know."

Shikamaru clicked his tongue. "You don't have to be a grouch."

"Sorry, it's the hormones."

"Whatever," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Ino rolled her eyes back at him. Why would a lazy oaf that considered everything troublesome want to be her child's "father"? The first time he mentioned the idea, she looked into his eyes and thought he was kidding, but she saw the seriousness in his coals orbs. He had no idea. Was his life so stress-free that he had to throw himself into another's burdens?

"So why would you want to be the father?"

Shikamaru's steps faltered, almost tripping over his feet. Ino shook her head as he gained his balance and jogged to catch up to her. Red tinted his cheeks and his eyes jumped from place to place as he thought of his answer. Did he volunteer without thinking? What an idiot.

"Y-You're my, uh, teammate and a friend. I just wanted to help out."

"That's kind of a stupid answer."

"You said the actual father was a horrible man. I thought about what you would say to people when they ask about the father. It's troublesome thinking about what to say, trying to make him sound like a decent guy. That's why. Because I know I'm a decent person, and you won't be so…afraid to say who the father was."

"So, until the day I die, you're my child's father? We'll lie to it?"

"Do you think the actual father is a person this child should know about?"

For a moment, she thought she could feel Hidan's rough fingertips trailing against her skin and gripping her hips. Her screams echoed in her head, pulsating in her ears. "No."

They walked onto an empty street that bordered the forest. Shikamaru grabbed her hand again. Ino wanted to pull away, but the warmth enticed her; she squeezed, receiving a gentle squeeze in return.

"You're only doing this because you're my 'baby's daddy,'" Ino accused, but she couldn't make herself to pull away from her teammate, who tightened his grip around her hand.

"Can we just walk? Don't think about it."

* * *

"Lady Hokage, I want to make a compromise. Please cancel my interrogation. If I may, in two days, I shall report to you every single event that has happened to me since I arrived in Kumogakure until the day I left."

"Why?"

"I'd like to keep it exclusive, between you and me. No one else."

"How could I possibly know that you aren't lying?"

"I have lost everything. I have nothing to hide now, so what would be the point of me lying?"

There was a pause, a pause that made Ino squirm in front of Tsunade's analyzing stare. "Be here, at my office by ten o'clock in the morning. If you're late, the interrogation is still on. Please leave now, you're cutting into my drinking."

* * *

**Thank you for reading.**  
**Have a fantastic day!**


	26. Crawl: To Be an Imbecile

**26. To Be an Imbecile**

* * *

The morning summer breeze blew her blonde, shoulder length hair back. The breeze cooled down her flushed, hot face. Ino tucked her hair behind both ears and enjoyed the coolness.

She didn't care for the stares and the double takes as she rushed down the sidewalk, walking as fast as her pregnant body could handle. Ino was on a mission, a mission to meet Tsunade at her office before ten o'clock.

Sakura woke her up at nine-fifteen, wondering if Ino still had her interrogation today. Ino bounced out of bed, pulled on some clothes and ran out of her apartment, on the run for her superior's office.

Ino never thought of what she would tell Tsunade; she just needed to be at her office on time. Ino ran up the spiral staircase and when Ino stood in front of the red, double doors of the Hokage's office, the thoughts rushed into her head. Her hands shook ferociously, sweating to the point where she wiped them numerous times on her leggings.

She leaned her forehead against the doors. Did she really want to do this? Was she ready for the truth to make its appearance? Beyond the doors, she could hear Tsunade ruffle papers, looking for something to do while Ino stood outside her doors. Tsunade knew Ino was there, but she didn't call Ino in. Could she sense Ino's apprehension?

Tsunade cracked the door open. "Ino," she said in a calm tone as if not to frighten Ino, "it's 9:59 and whether you're outside my doors or not, if you're not in here in less than a minute, I'm going to escort you to your interrogation."

Ino stepped inside the warm office and closed the doors quietly behind her just when the clock clicked ten o'clock. Tsunade smiled at her and leaned back on her desk, crossing her arms. "Shall we start?" Tsunade asked.

Ino nodded and sat down in a chair in front of Tsunade. She opened her mouth to speak when Tsunade raised her hand, cutting Ino off.

"I may not be a specialist like you and your father, but I have been taught your jutsu," she said. "I'm able to tap your memory. I trust you not to give me false information."

Ino grimaced. She hated people tapping into her memory, but Ino closed her eyes anyway, sighing, "Okay." Tsunade pressed her two fingertips against her forehead, sending herself into Ino's mind.

"**Okay, Ino, show me." **

Ino reviewed her arrival and first month in Kumogakure, introducing her to the employees of the Blue Pub. She showed Tsunade the silly things Minako did, in hopes of lightening the mood between her and the Hokage, and then—so the Hokage wouldn't deem her a slacker—she displayed images of Ino spending sleepless nights on the rood, searching and hoping for the murderer of the woman would show his face. It was then Ino became nervous as she remembered one night when Minako pointed out a mysterious, handsome man.

"_Ino," Minako whispered in her ear, nudging Ino in the side with her elbow. "Do you see him, that guy over there?" _

"_There are several guys here." _

_Ino followed Minako's point the corner of the pub. "That guy in the back. He's wearing that jacket thing. Uh, whitish hair and purple eyes." When Ino found him, a man that stood out from the ocean of brown hair and brown eyes, he stared back at her with a confidence that made Ino's heart fly to unhealthy heights. She averted her eyes to the counter, hoping he didn't see her. _

"_I see him." _

"_He's a good looking man," Minako noted, still staring at him with a playful smirk. Ino covered Minako's loud mouth with a hand. _

"_It's not polite to stare." _

"_He kind of reminds me of my last ex-boyfriend. He was really—oh my, he's coming over here! Ino, what do we do?" _

_Ino punched Minako in the shoulder and growled under her breath, "Shut up and act normal, numb nuts!"_

"_Gotcha!" Minako saluted and continued to wipe the counter with a wet rag, acting "normal" until she looked up, gasped and flew to the other end of the counter to work the register. As she conversed the customers, she spoke louder than usual, this annoyed Ino more than usual. _

"_Good evening." His voice was deep and vibrated through Ino's body viciously. The stranger wore a dark cloak with the front unzipped to the middle of his midsection, showing the muscular valleys and dips of his abdomen and chest. For his face, his features looked approachable and soft with intense lavender eyes and a confident smirk riding his thin lips. He smoothly raked his fingers through his silver hair. Ino ogled at the charming man, but didn't notice until he winked. She looked down and noticed she repetitively scrubbed the same spot on the counter. _

"**Ino," Tsunade gasped. "You do realize who that is, right?"**

"**I know now." **

"_Uh," Ino stuttered, gathering her words that she subconsciously lost, "hello, sir, is there anything I can get you?"_

"_Your name, perhaps?" _

_Ino pressed her lips together, forcing down a smile, while her insides burst into an eruption of anxiety. Her fingers twiddled with the hem of her long-sleeved shirt. "It's, eh, I-Ino." _

_He leaned against the counter, still holding a charming smile on his face. "Ino, mm? That's a unique name. When your shift is over, meet me outside, yeah?" _

"_Uh, sure."_

_He smiled. "Good." _

_As she promised, when her shift was over, Ino clocked out and met the mysterious man outside the pub. He leaned against the neighboring skyscraper with an expressionless look on his face. _

"**Didn't your parents ever tell you not to run off with strangers! What kind of imbecile runs off with strangers!"**

_Throughout the night, they spoke and laughed as they walked around Kumogakure, enjoying the sites the village had to offer—and in Ino's opinion, it's wasn't much. Ino gazed at the Adonis like features, mesmerized by his charming face and even more so, his body. As much as she fought against such smutty thoughts, she yearned to see what this man looked like in bed. He captivated her with endearing jokes and compliments. A finger trailed up and down her arms, leaving fire in its wake. _

"_We should go somewhere more private," he suggested as he leaned closer to Ino, setting a hand against the wall beside her head. "I know somewhere not too far from here. Stay the night with me." _

"_I don't know," Ino said, stepping away from the man, who frowned but his smirk quickly came back. "My boss will be pissed if I disappeared for the whole night, not to mention my roommate." _

_He snorted, laughing at her. "Is he your father or what?"_

"_Well, no." _

"_Then there's nothing to worry about! Come with me. You'll have a good time." _

"_No, I have to go." _

_His grin, a pleasant one, turned possessed, demented and insanity plagued his eyes. The man snatched her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck. He leaned in close, trailing his nose along her jugular. Then he whispered, "Sorry, Blondie." _

_Everything went black. _

"**Please don't tell me…," Tsunade murmured. "Is that how…?"**

_Her vision was blurry when she first opened her eyes, but she could see a dark figure hover over her and a dim light glowing behind it. However, the image vanished when Ino closed her eyes again as a stinging, as if she was being ripped open, sensation flared throughout her body especially around her shoulders and stomach. She hissed, fighting back pain stricken tears. _

"_You're finally awake," he growled, sending panicked shivers across Ino's bleeding skin. "It's about time." Ino opened her eyes once again and glanced down at her bloody naked body, seeing the blood pooling on her stomach, seeping from a gasp the width of her stomach. _

"_Please stop," she whimpered. _

_He grinned and showed her the knife with her blood dripping down the blade and his fingers. Ino closed her eyes when drops fell onto her face, her neck, her breasts. "I'm only starting." _

"**Stop." **

Tears spilled down her cheeks and stained her shirt's collar with wetness when Ino opened her eyes. Tsunade drew her arm back and leaned against her desk once more, and Ino could feel her stare, her scrutiny. She didn't want to meet those eyes that held sympathy. Before meeting her superior's gaze, Ino wiped the tears with the back of her hand and looked up, meeting sullen eyes. Ino bowed her head again, letting tears seep from her eyes again.

"You could've said something before this happened," Tsunade whispered. "I can't believe you went through that. Ino, I'm so sorry." Ino shook her head and wiped tears away one more time as she looked up, opening her mouth to object, but Tsunade wrapped her arms around Ino's shoulders, allowing Ino to cry on her shoulder and share her emotions with Tsunade.

However, Ino gentled pulled away from Tsunade's embrace. "It's my fault for everything," she said, keep her eyes on the corner of the desk. "I took that mission. I left with Hidan. After what happened, I disappeared and locked myself in a hotel room for two weeks. I didn't want to come home. I wanted to start new, but then Shikamaru showed up."

"Sorry to ruin your plans," Tsunade said sarcastically, back to her hard-ass self. "You truly are in the best hands when in Konoha. Who else would support you in Kumogakure?"

"Shikamaru gave me the same lecture."

"It's true. You're lucky to be alive, Ino."

"No, I really am not." Ino looked up with hard eyes, meeting Tsunade's confused gaze. "He wants me dead. The day before I left, Hidan showed up to kill me. He said his client wasn't too happy that I was alive. His client, or whatever, wants me dead."

"His client? He's working for somebody? The Akatsuki must be desperate for some cash."

"He's looking for me, Lady Tsunade. He's the ultimate reason why I returned to Konohagakure."

* * *

Ino felt lighter, a burden has lifted from her shoulders, her chest, and now she could only feel the weight in her stomach. She could inhale a deep breath and enjoy the fresh air, not the air that had a dark secret lingering in the air. Talking to Tsunade went easier than Ino expected, surprised by the amount of support Tsunade gave her. She assured Ino that her secret, everything she revealed—that included the cover about Shikamaru being the father, would be safe with her.

Speaking of Shikamaru, she needed to tell an important person that her child belonged to him. It wasn't going to be pretty, but it needed to be done. As for Shikamaru, Ino would pray that her father refrained from beating his sorry ass. Her pineapple haired teammate did ask for it, and she did warn him about her father going on a violent rampaged once he found out. So, at the end of the day, whatever happens happens and it's all Shikamaru's fault, literally and figuratively if you catch Ino's drift.

When Ino marched into the flower shop with that refreshed smile on her face and a bounce in each step, her mother rejoiced even though she was about as clueless as a goldfish. She dropped the hose and walked into the den with Ino, arms linked and smiles on both of their faces.

She can do it.

Her father looked up from the television with fatigued eyes, but as his eyes zeroed in on his daughter, he stood up quickly, making a B-line for his bedroom. Ino stepped in Inochi's path and stared him down, causing her father to slow down and stop before he reached her.

"You need to listen to me," she ordered, keeping her penetrating stare locked on her father's wandering eyes. "Dad, I'm ready to tell you who the father is, and if you don't want to listen or support me, you'll never know."

"Ino, I just want to beat the fucker's ass."

"Inoichi, language, dear."

"Sorry, hun."

"Dad, please look at me. I can't tell you if you're look elsewhere." Truthfully, the fact her own father couldn't look at her straight in the eyes hurt her. He acted almost embarrassed to have her as a daughter. Did she really screw up that bad?

Inoichi sighed and looked at Ino with a stoic expression, waiting for her to say something. "You need to control yourself because I need him there, more than anything. That means no severe maiming such as curb stomping, bone breaking, and organ pulling, understand?"

He grunted.

"The father is Shikamaru."

Her mother gasped and clapped her hands together in delight. "Called it!"

Her father remained emotionless, staring at Ino with dull, impassive eyes. It startled Ino when he walked passed her and out the door…in his fuzzy bunny slippers she bought him for his fortieth birthday.

* * *

The ridiculous amount of trees and greenery astonished Temari every time she visited Konoha, a wonderland of skyscraping trees with a canopy so thick she couldn't see the vibrant sun shining in the unblemished sky. Suna, a paradise of humid air and mountainous sand dunes, obviously differed from this village that Temari loved so much—sometimes more than her moist, thick aired village.

Through the diminishing trees, Temari could spot the scarlet colored gates of Konoha's main entrance. She walked faster, faster towards the intimidatingly large gates that peeped beyond the trunks of trees. Temari was almost there, close to Shikamaru's arm, and almost in her version of paradise. Her feet didn't feel sore and blistered as she flew through nature's maze until she stood gazing at the village gates, out of breath and regressing back into her overly fatigued state.

She wanted to collapse to her knees and pass out there, but she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Hi."

Shikamaru casually sauntered over to Temari with a cool smirk on his lips, the lips that Temari yearned to lean forward and capture them with her, but they were in public—it had to wait due to their policy about no public displays of affection. Temari's breath hitched in her throat when Shikamaru stopped in front of her. In the course of six months, she noticed he towered over her, to the point where she had to crank her neck back to look at his face…or maybe she was shrinking.

"You've gotten taller," she commented.

Shikamaru said nothing, just smiled at her, and Temari leaned forward and hugged her lover around his waist, nuzzling her nose into his neck. She snuck a light kiss on the crook of his neck. Oh, how she missed him.

She stepped away from him. Shikamaru stared at her with intense desire, a look that lured her in every time she saw the look in his eye. She could never describe the feeling that he gave her, but it always made her squirm in delight, in wonderful anticipation.

"Do you think we should get started?" she asked, following Shikamaru as he turned around and began walking into the semi crowded streets.

He shrugged and slouched with a lazy look on his face. "If you want," he mumbled. "You just got here, though. How about we find you something to eat? After that, I'll walk you to your inn, and then we'll start working tomorrow, after you've had some rest? Sound good?"

Temari nodded. "Sure, I'm really tired anyway."

* * *

Shikamaru leaned back in their booth and watched Temari ravenously scarf her food down—poor girl hasn't eaten a full meal in three days…. Having her sit before him was surreal. It's been a long six month, feeling an eternity since he last seen her, and her presence was abnormal—it didn't belong in this scene.

She hasn't change except for her hairstyle, tying her hair back into two ponytails instead of four, which he never liked, so this change was good. At a young age of twenty, she looked older with dark circles around her light, sea-green eyes. Hopefully, in the next few days of rest, her youth would return.

"Are you sure you don't want any of this? It's delicious," Temari asked, pointing to her food with the end of her chopstick, mouth filled with food.

Shikamaru smiled and shook his head. "It's all yours." He was full from the feast Choji, Asuma, and himself had last night, in celebration of Choji scoring a girlfriend, who he wouldn't let anyone meet until he was sure about her…whatever that meant. Ino unfortunately couldn't come because the thought of eating meat made her want to vomit, and she needed to speak with the Hokage.

Last night, he told Asuma and Choji that Ino was pregnant, pushing six months. Asuma pretended to smash his face into the hot plate, mumbling something about having enough of babies since his little girl was born two weeks before, and he suffered sleepless night and an infinite number of dirty diapers.

Choji stopped eating.

Amongst the shock, Shikamaru proceeded to announce that he was the father. Asuma grabbed him by the neck and almost smashed his face into the hot plate, yelling incoherent threats. He should have known better and used protection, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Choji lost his appetite.

"Shikamaru, are you all right? You seem out of it."

Shikamaru smiled. Speaking of Ino, ever since her and Temari met on his birthday, they loathed each other, wanting to spill each other's guts on the floor since that day. Ino called her a home wrecker and "accidentally"—later, she confessed she did it on purpose—split her drink in Temari's lap. Temari, incapable of taking shit from anyone, punched Ino in the face, but knowing Ino also didn't take shit, Ino came back and uppercut his lover in the chin, then sent her to the floor with a sharp right hook to the side of Temari's face. Before they could really start, everyone at the dinner table had to break them up. Then, Ino and Temari were tied to their seats, on opposite ends of the table. Hm, if Shikamaru brought Ino around Temari, would Temari punch a pregnant woman?

Ugh, that reminded him that he hasn't seen or spoke to Ino…. He'll have to do that once he was done accompanying Temari….

"I'm fine," he said hastily. "It's been a troublesome day, that's all. I mean—not because you're here, just that everything else has been stressful, I guess." Damn, he never stumbled on his words. "I'm glad you're here," he covered his stumble. "I've, uh, missed you."

Temari giggled, something she rarely did and shook her head at his futile attempt of being affectionate. "I missed you, too. It's been a long six months it seems."

"Definitely. So," Shikamaru paused to glance outside, seeing the sun begin to set below the mountains, "are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

By the time they found Temari's inn, the sun completely disappeared behind the horizon. The inn was small, but one of the top rated inns in Konoha, which was why the Hokage bunked her here every six months. It was a shame that Temari slept at Shikamaru's house more often than she did at the inn, but Tsunade didn't need to know about that.

"This is it," Shikamaru sighed. Temari turned around and stepped towards him until they stood chest to chest, until she looked straight up and he had to look down. "Goodnight."

"Stay the night?" she purred.

As much as he wanted to stay the night in her warm embrace, flourish with kisses, Shikamaru shook his head. He needed to see Ino. "Sorry, I need to run some errands for Tsunade."

The sandy blonde woman pouted, but it was replaced with a delicate, sultry smile. "Then, I'll see you tomorrow." She raised to her tiptoes and pecked Shikamaru's lips, which he reluctantly kissed back—he needed to see Ino.

Temari increased the pressure against his lips, her fingertips trailing up his arms and clutching his shoulder, bringing him closer to her. Shikamaru stepped back and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Tomorrow, meet me at the jonin's lounge around noon, and we'll start from there. I'll see you."

With a last wave, Shikamaru left, wandering the streets of Konoha before he saw Ino. He zoned on his feet, watching them step, step, step, step. What was he thinking? How he just felt when he kissed Temari wasn't right, as if he committed all seven sins in that second. It wasn't fair to Temari, thinking of Ino while kissing Temari, who longed for his attention and body and vice versa.

Human nature could not explain the sixth sense one has, the sense of knowing someone watched Shikamaru as he walked away from the inn and sauntered down Main Street, towards Ino's apartment building; the feeling of someone scrutinizing him and his every move. Shikamaru glanced over his shoulder, but there was no one behind him…or at least, he didn't see anyone. He, however, felt a disturbance in the air, a tension that centered on harming Shikamaru, and he couldn't pinpoint where exactly such tension originated. Well, that is until he turned around for the second time to see a flash of a man dressed in gray clad stampeding towards him.

"YOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG DADDY, NARA!"

Oh, fuck.

* * *

_I enjoyed writing this chapter.  
__Now, thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting. You all make me some happy that I could give everyone hugs.  
__Have a majestic day!_

**P.S  
I have a sudden obsession with Sasuke, more specifically Sasuke/Sakura, due to the amazing fanfiction called  
****Instant Message by Keelah. Does anyone know any great fics about those two? **


	27. Crawl: Letters

_I can't describe how much I appreciate everyone! Chapter 26 received the most reviews, and it makes me feel happy and jittery inside. I virtually hug you all, and once again say I appreciate everyone that reads this story._

* * *

**27. Letters**

* * *

_Hi everyone (namely Minako, Sachiko, and Jin), _

_I hope that everything is fine and dandy in Kumogakure. Hope the weather is great, customers are treating everyone with respect, and that everyone is in wonderful health. I do mean everyone, kind of. _

_Being back in Konohagakure is surreal, like I shouldn't be here. I've been here a little over a month, and it's still strange seeing my roommate, Sakura (she's awesome; everyone has to meet her someday!). Just being in the same room with all my friends is weird and a little awkward because all they want to know is how my mission went. I feel like they shouldn't be here with me, like they should be somewhere else, or I should be somewhere else. You know how that is, right?_

I miss everyone. Again, I hope everyone is doing well (even Takao, no matter how much we hate each other). Minako, you best be staying out of trouble and staying safe. I hope my job that I handed over to you is going well, and that no one has caught you yet. Sachiko, I know you're keeping Minako behaved. When you get to the chance, can you send me that recipe for those chocolate chip cookies you baked that one day? With the cinnamon sprinkled in it? You know what I'm talking about right? Sakura's boyfriend would love those.

_Anyway, before I close this letter, there's a last bit of news. I wish I could be face-to-face with you all, but because we're two countries apart, I guess I have to write it down. I think Sachiko was really the only one that noticed since she did sneak a surprise in my backpack, but anyway, I'm pregnant…._

Ino leaned back and reread her letter to her friends back in the Lightning country. Everything she wrote sounded fake, forced like she was writing a mission report. She didn't want to do it, but Ino felt obligated to let her friends know that she was doing well, give them an update on her life in Konoha. In return, she hoped for a letter back, a brief summary of everyone's lives. Really, Ino wanted to know if the ANBU still kept surveillance, or did the Raikage pull them out as soon as she stepped out of the country? The last thing she wanted was Hidan attacking her ex co-workers.

A week ago, she sent a letter, but the mail carrier recently sent her a notice informing Ino that her letter could not be sent. Thus, Ino sat at her dining table, conjuring a last minute letter to send before the outgoing mail was picked up.

Ino fidgeted in her seat at the dining table, grimacing at the sharp pangs that shot up her back and other nameless places. The whole day she felt queasy with horrible headaches and being unable to eat. Ino slouched and gazed at the ceiling, but that was short lived when the ceiling began to slowly spin. Closing her eyes, Ino sat up straight and bowed her head, focusing on the blurry words of her letter.

Being five months pregnant definitely took a toll on Ino's once durable, healthy body. She couldn't stand up right because the weight of the baby stressed her lower back too much, and she couldn't walk for a long period of time because then, her back _and _her feet started aching. The fact she couldn't walk two steps without a shortness of breath seemed ridiculous to Ino—she was a kunoichi for crying out loud! It was even more ridiculous that getting in and out of bed was the worst workout of all time. Ino ran fifty laps around the whole village, did push-ups until the sun rose and set, but everything Asuma put her through didn't compare to what Ino felt after trying to get out of bed, the painful soreness and the endless moment of trying to catch her breath. This had to be worse than any punishment Tsunade could think of, which was probably why Tsunade didn't give her a penalty after Ino spilled her guts. Being pregnant was good enough.

Ino jumped out of her seat when repeated, hurried knocks—no, something along the lines of smacking—erupted from the door. Her visitor pounded against the poor door, almost bringing it off its hinges. "Ino," a frightened voice yelped from the other side of the door, "hurry up! God, hurry up!" If Ino wasn't going crazy, the voice sounded like Shikamaru, but Ino couldn't picture the lazy, carefree boy as someone who would come pounding her door of its hinges, nor would he shout at the top of his lungs at eleven in the evening….

The second Ino unlocked the door, Shikamaru burst into her apartment. Ino stepped back as the door flew straight for her face, barely dodging it as she felt the gust of air blow her hair away from her face. Ino had seen it all—Shikamaru frightened like a scared child that claimed monsters were under his bed, and she heard him scream like a little girl-not exactly, but she'll say he did.

"Hello, Shikamaru," she greeted with a sigh. Ino stepped over his legs and poked her head into the hallway, wondering if his noise woke up her neighbors. No one stood outside, asking what the ruckus was, so Ino stepped back into her flat and quietly closed the door. "Do you know what time it is? People are _sleeping," _she lectured with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

She stood there, waiting for Shikamaru to answer, but he didn't respond. Her teammate rolled onto his back and gawked at the ceiling as he caught his breath. What was with him? Did something scare him that bad? Shikamaru didn't look at Ino until she nudged his foot with her own. "Hi," he sighed with terrified eyes.

"What are you doing here? It's late."

Shikamaru bounced to his feet and weakly smiled at Ino as if he didn't burst through her door seconds ago. He reached past her and locked the door before sauntering over to the dining table and taking his regular seat. "I'm keeping a tradition," he said as he tapped the seat next to him, telling Ino to sit down. "I miss this."

"Well," Ino started as she sat on the couch, lifting her feet onto the coffee table, "how about we have a new tradition? We sit here and talk while you rub my feet."

Ino grinned when Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "That's disgusting. Why would I rub your feet?"

"Because they hurt," she whined, wiggling her toes which received a disgusted grimace from Shikamaru. Ino almost laughed. "Plus, I'm too big to rub them myself," she added, glaring at Shikamaru. She reached for her feet, but her stomach stopped her just as her fingertips grazed against her sole. Shooting Shikamaru a begging glance, she tried to rub her feet once more to inflict guilt and sympathy on the young man.

Ino smiled to herself when she heard Shikamaru sigh in defeat. Ino watched him with victorious grin on her face, which he avoided looking at. He raised her feet from the table, and then sat down, placing her feet in his lap. At first, Ino sighed at his menstruations against her heels, but as he moved to her arch, Ino fell back in the couch, slouching into the cushions as she bit a knuckle as a pleasant pain shot up her leg.

Shikamaru smirked at her fidgets, knees buckling, mumbled groaning, and biting the corner of pillows. "Your dad chased me down today," he finally said, eyes focused on Ino's sore feet.

"That explains why you broke my door down," Ino mumbled, groaning when his thumb grazed over a knot. "Why?"

"For 'messing with the wrong daddy.' You told him I was the father, didn't you?" Shikamaru accused, frowning. Ino flashed a guilty smile and nodded, but he didn't notice, too busy glowering at her feet. "You said that was a bad idea, Ino!"

"And? I said it was a bad idea, but I never said I refused to tell my parents you were the father. I warned you, didn't I?"

"Usually when someone says something is a bad idea, they tend _not _to do it."

"You're blaming me for this? I did say my dad would try to maim you," Ino reminded, pushing her foot against his stomach which earned a wince from Shikamaru, but in retaliation, he dug a nail into her foot. "Ow, you're pressing too hard."

"Ow, you're kicking me in the stomach," he fired back, so Ino pulled her foot back into his lap and continued slouching with a defeated frown on her face. Shikamaru flashed his victory smile and returned to messaging her foot with a lighter pressure. "So, Temari is in town."

Ino rolled her eyes and slouched farther into the cushions. "Awesome," she said sarcastically. "When's the wedding?" Shikamaru had his flings and one-week wonders, and Ino didn't have problems with any of the girls, sometimes they became friends—in fact Ino was still friends with one or two of the girls. However, when it came to Temari, Ino couldn't stand her. Since Ino laid eyes on her during the Chunin exams, Ino hated her disgusting face. For years, Ino begged Shikamaru to cut it off with her, go for someone better than her-anyone would be better than that rat faced bitch, really.

"She's not that bad," Shikamaru defended.

"She punched me in the face, Shikamaru. She does that to your teammate, your best girl-space-friend, and you're still gaga for her? I feel like you were waiting for it to happen. You wanted her to punch me in the face!"

"Definitely, Ino," Shikamaru sarcastically countered, rolling his eyes. "As you _already_ know, I have to work with her. We plan the Chunin exams."

"You have to work with her, not sex her up. Those are two completely different things, and if Tsunade found out you two were sleeping together, she'd freak and say something about being professional. I demand you pick a new partner."

"That's up to Tsunade."

"According to our lie, you're technically cheating."

"That's below the belt."

"That's not the only thing that's below the belt. Temari would know."

* * *

For the past week, she's lived in paradise now. She saw Shikamaru's face every day and heard his voice, his laugh and felt his arms around her, his lips against her own. However, he's been distant. Whenever she looked at him, he looked detached with a distant stare in his eyes as if he thought about another matter, far beyond the moment they were in. What surprised her most was how work oriented he was, wanting to work rather than play. His excuse was, "The faster we get this done, the more time we have to ourselves." It wasn't like him. He liked procrastination, being lazy, being with her.

Today, Shikamaru told her to meet him at the Jounin's lounge because he had errands to run for his mother that morning, so she couldn't meet him at his house. Again, something that was uncharacteristic. He waited till last minute to run errands, unable to waste day time with her. What happened to him? She remembered him sending a letter about spending a few months in Kumogakure to search for a missing teammate. Did he change because of that mission?

She recalled that Ino went missing. Temari scowled at the thought of his blonde teammate. Ever since she spilled her drink on Temari, Temari couldn't stand that outgoing, loud mouth bitch. She never noticed her before, but since that day, the thought of Ino made Temari want to punch the closest person. If only Shikamaru could pick his teammates.

On her way to the lounge, Temari passed Shizune, a woman she knew through Tsunade. The dark haired woman stopped and smiled, waving at her. "Good morning, Temari, it's a nice surprise to see you here. I didn't know you were in town." Shizune looked on edge with lips pressed tight in a hard line, and her eyes didn't make contact with Temari's, they looked past her, down the staircase Temari just came up.

"Yeah, I've been here for the past week. Have you seen Shikamaru here? I'm supposed to meet him here."

Shizune inhaled a sharp breath at the mention of Shikamaru. "Uh, no," she said hastily, suddenly on the move. She was at the staircase by the time she said, "You're free to wait in the lounge, and if I see him, I'll tell him to hurry up—bye!"

Temari waved at the departing woman, but Shizune quickly turned around and scrambled up the stairs. She turned around and slowly walked down the dark hallway, wondering why that woman looked so nervous. Did she drink too much coffee? That's what happened to Temari when she drank too much. But, when she mentioned Shikamaru's name, Shizune acted more nervous as if she had a secret about Shikamaru that Temari didn't know.

Temari shook her head. No, that couldn't' be it. She shrugged the thoughts away; she shouldn't care about other's business. All Temari wanted was to see Shikamaru.

From the other side of the door, Temari could hear people talking. "Did you hear about that Ino girl?" Ugh, her name! Of all people to talk about, they had to pick Ino, the last person Temari wanted to hear about. Temari opened the doors and spotted the receptionist whispering to a Jonin who chewed on a senbon. They glanced at her, but continued with their conversation when Temari sat in the farthest corner.

"Yeah," the senbon chewer said, nodding. "I heard she's pregnant. What about it?"

Temari's ears perked. Pregnant? No way.

"Well, I heard the father is the Nara boy. Supposedly, they ran away to Kumogakure because their parents didn't allow their relationship, and they married there. Also, I guess this pregnancy wasn't planned. Shikamaru knocked her up on their 'wedding' night."

WHAT!

"Temari, hey."

The gossipers ceased talking and gawked at Shikamaru, watching him walk over to Temari. Catching sight of the two, he waved at them and greeted, "Anko, Genma, good morning."

"Morning," they mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Looking at Shikamaru, a carefree smile on his face and calmness in his eyes, she wouldn't have guessed Ino and Shikamaru had a relationship. Ugh, her of all people! Why did it have to be Ino that he decided to marry? Did Ino know about him and Temari?

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding out his hand to help her out of the chair.

Temari stood up without his hand. "Yeah," she said, smiling. "Let's go."

She'll pretend everything is normal for now.

* * *

_Dearest Ino, _

_It's about freaking time you sent a letter! I wrote like a hundred letters, but I didn't know your mailing address, so I just wasted a bunch of paper! I was going to shove all my letters into an envelope, but Sachiko told me not to because it'd be a waste of your time…_

_Everyone, me, Sachiko and Jin mainly, are writing individual letters, so we can give you our own updates! _

_Anyway, I hope you're doing well. I hope your baby is healthy, too. I always knew you and Shikamaru would come to your senses someday, just not so soon…. _

A loud crash erupted from downstairs, making Minako place her pen down and peep at the door, wondering if Takao and Konan got into a fight again, or if the customers started fighting, but it was early in the morning. Sachiko could be cooking, but she didn't drop things like Minako did. No one else in the Pub dropped things like she did and no one at the Pub crashed into things like she did.

The floor rumbled under her feet as more clatters and loud crashes deafened her ears. Minako rushed over to the door and swung it open, looking into the hall to see if anyone else came out to see the ruckus. No one.

"Maybe you're willing to give me some information," a voice said from behind her, from her room. She felt a hand gripped the back of her neck and drag her into her room. She saw a foot kick the door closed. The intruder threw Minako onto her bed. Before she could recover from the fall, a sharp blade pressed against her neck. "Where's Yamanaka Ino?"

"Who?" She was under oath to never speak of Ino to anyone ever. "I don't know anyone named Ino," she said frantically as the blade pressed harder against her skin. Warmth trickled down her neck, blood. Minako closed her eyes as pain finally triggered.

"That's fucking bullshit!" the intruder bellowed. "I swear I'll rip your fucking throat out if you don't tell me where Ino is. You'll end up like the rest!"

"You killed…."

"Where the hell is Ino?"

Minako recognized his face. Pale with unusual lavender eyes and light, almost silver, hair. She glanced at the envelope on her desk and hoped he wouldn't see it, but the man followed her eyes. He grinned and walked over to her desk and picked up the letter, reading it.

"You fucking liar," he laughed manically. The stranger picked up the envelope and frowned when he found no address written on the envelope. Minako felt tears swell in her eyes as his eyes slowly averted from the paper to her eyes, burning hate and insanity into her. The blade pressed against her throat once again. "Tell me," he breathed, "where Ino is."

"I don't know where she is."

"Liar!" He leaned in closer until they were nose to nose. Minako closed her eyes as she felt the blade slide from her throat up to the corner of her mouth. It lightly trailed from her lip to her ear, down the side of her neck, and down at the collarbone. "Tell me," he whispered. "Or I'll do to you the same thing I did with Ino that night. You remember that night don't you?"

She remembered. That night when he came to the Pub. He charmed Ino and whisked her away. What happened to Ino that night was a mystery.

"I raped her," he said bluntly. "I sliced her from head to toe, rip her open, left her for dead."

"Konoha. She's in Konoha."

"Good girl," he said. He pulled the knife away from her throat. She watched him open her door. "Oh, by the way, they're alive, just knocked out. I hope you feel good about betraying your friend, you bitch."

* * *

_Personally, I don't hate Temari. All the bad mouthing was for the sake of the story.  
Also, I seem to enjoy the word "bitch" at this moment.  
__Review, alert, favorite—I like!  
__Thank you for reading.  
__Have a good day. _


	28. Crawl: Feelings

_Before I start, I have no idea what Ino's mother's name is, so I made one up.  
Thanks for reading._

* * *

**28. Feelings**

* * *

"Shouldn't you be with Temari or something? You have some 'planning' to do, right?" Ino enquired as she sprinkled water over her growing tulips while purposely—Ino tried to make it look like an accident—pouring water on Shikamaru's feet. She jerked in his direction in yet again, another "accidental" way of soaking his clothes. "I know why you're here—you want to buy her flowers! I'll pull some weeds from the sidewalk and wrap them up for you. No charge, on the house."

Shikamaru said nothing, giving no effort to defend his lover, which made it all the better to bad mouth Temari. For the past few hours, he listened to her insolent banters halfheartedly, and when she stopped to wait for a response, he changed the subject to flowers or Sakura's relationship.

When Shikamaru just blankly stared at her as if he waited for her to keep slandering his colleague, Ino waddled towards the counter and grabbed a water bottle from behind the desk, taking a swig of its deliciously cooling contents. He finally sighed and said, "All you've done is insult Temari, since last night. It's about time to stop." Oh, what a surprise. Ino raised a brow. He actually defended her. Looks like the kid actually has some balls. "The person that should be talking is Temari since you did start whatever it is between you two."

"She punched me in the face. That deserves shit talking."

Shikamaru scowled at her. "One," he said, holding up a finger, "you spilled your drink on her which is why she punched you, and two—" Shikamaru added another finger "—you need to grow up. You're an adult, a soon to be _mother_, and you're acting like a pathetic teenager. That happened three years ago, and it's not like she killed your family or something. Also," he continued, suddenly on a ranting roll, "are you going to talk behind your kid's back when it accidentally spills its drink on you? Or what if it pulls out your hair? Are you going to punch it in the face?"

Ino sprayed him with the hose, aiming for his face but unfortunately splashing his clothes more than his pissed off face. She chucked the hose to the floor and stepped towards Shikamaru. "You of all people should know never to talk about this child," she hissed under her breath. "Never compare how I act with Temari to how I will act with my child. They're two different people."

He stared back, unperturbed.

"Shikamaru, hello, darling," Ino's mother said in delighted surprise as she entered the flower shop with a handful of groceries, startling the couple. They stepped back and avoided eye contact with each other and Ino's mother, who seemed oblivious to the tension. "I'm glad to see you're alive and well. Inoichi came home in a rather good mood last night, so I thought he actually did kill you."

Ino laughed awkwardly, glancing at Shikamaru who returned the look with a pointed gaze meaning this moment would be a time to show they were the ideal happy couple. Reluctant, she inched closer to Shikamaru, eyes on her mother who rambled as she circled around the flowers. Shikamaru grabbed her hand, enlacing his fingers with hers. She immediately wanted to take their hands and bat him in the face. Damn her pregnancy rage.

"It was so funny," her mom babbled, laughing to herself, "your father was talking in his sleep, and when I tried waking him up, he shouts, 'I'm going to castrate the bastard!' How funny is that?"

Shikamaru stared at her mother with wide eyes as he swallowed a lump in his throat. If he hadn't come to her door last night, he'd be neutered dog chow by now. She definitely should have kept him out.

"Anyway," Ino's partner coughed. "I have to go now."

"It's about damn time," Ino mumbled, earning an elbow in her ribs. "Er, okay, Sweetie? Have a good day?" and that earned an eye roll. "What the hell do you want me to say, Shikamaru?" she growled, low enough that Shikamaru could only hear.

He only smiled and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. She could hear a faint "Aw!" from the corner of the store. Ino pushed Shikamaru away, shoving him in the chest. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Being the best boyfriend-slash-father I can be," he gritted through his teeth with a fake smile, embarrassed eyes, and flushed cheeks. "Bye, Ino. I'll come around your place around ten," he said as he left the flower shop. "Bye, Mrs. Yamanaka!" he exclaimed as Ino stomped her foot and shouted, "Since when did I decided we're dating?"

"Oh, you're leaving all ready? Bye, dear, visit soon!"

Ino watched Shikamaru stroll down the street through the shop's windows. She shook her head and left for the kitchen to go prepare lunch for her and her mother. Her mother tagged along, breathlessly rambling about Shikamaru, her so-called baby's daddy.

"I honestly think you made a splendid choice," she said. "He's a good looking, young man. He's also reliable, smart, and did you know I had a fling with his father? Before he started dating Yoshino, of course—goodness, I'd never want to make that woman angry…."

"Mom, please," Ino sighed. "We're nothing serious." They're a lie. "We didn't plan this," she said, gesturing to her swollen belly. "It just happened."

"Planned or not, Shikamaru has good traits that he can pass along."

Sighing once more, Ino wanted to take a frying pan to her face several times over.

Her mother left the kitchen, humming her own tone as she moseyed into the store and leaving Ino to make their lunches. As she carefully placed tomatoes on their sandwiches, a specific spot on her head began to burn, and it slowly expanded, spreading onto her face and down her neck. Ino pulled her hair back and tucked the short ends behind her ear when they fell out of the pony tail. The burning still remained, growing hotter and hotter. The origin, the spot Shikamaru kissed her, pulsated and brought more heat to her face. Ino splashed water onto her face but the heat clung to her skin.

"Ms. Mai," a familiar voice called after the store bells rang their sweet chime. "Are you here? I have a favor to ask of you!"

"Oh, Asuma, I was wondering when I'd see you again!" her mother exclaimed cheerfully. "I wonder if I'll be seeing Choiji today. I've seen everyone from Team 10 except him!"

"I'm afraid he left for a mission this morning with his father, so no such luck." Peeking around the corner, she saw her former sensei in the flesh, looking rugged and battered as if he just returned from a mission. Just as his eyes flashed towards the doorway where Ino poked her head out of, she jumped back and leaned against the wall, listening to their conversation. As first, it was nothing but small talk, lots of question from her mother and 'hmm's from Asuma whenever she decided to ramble about nonsense.

"Anyway, I don't want to waste anymore of your time, what can I do for you?"

"I need flowers." Ino rolled her eyes, face palming at the response. Coming to a flower shop was the best place to purchase flowers. At least…the last time Ino checked, flowers shops were the ideal places to buy flowers—unless people were saying ramen shops were now the places to purchase flowers.

"I'm guessing for Kurenai, yes? What's the occasion?"

"She's been cooped in the apartment with the baby for a week, so I thought getting her flowers might be nice…and I'm cooking dinner." Ino gagged, experiencing _exactly _what Asuma's cooking tasted like more times than she'd like to admit. Instead of eating at a nice restaurant whenever they were in a different village, Asuma insisted on cooking. He said cooking was cheaper than going to a restaurant. Kurenai was better off eating the flowers.

"Let me find my clippers real quick!" Mai sang as she ambled into the house. "Ino," she called as she obliviously walked passed her daughter who tried to blend in with the wall, "have you seen my clippers?"

"Ino's here?" she heard Asuma quickly ask to no one in particular. If only she could peek around the corner to see his expression. However, she didn't want Asuma to see her…not yet at least. Then again, he'll have to see her eventually, and Shikamaru most likely told him about her situation.

Poking her head into the shop, Asuma had his back turned towards her as he eyed the roses and fingered through the packages of flower seeds that hung on a spinning rack, so she quietly entered the shop and crept up behind her teacher. The sight of her burly sensei felt surreal, like how she felt seeing everyone else…. Upon her arrival from Kumo, she avoided Asuma like the plague—and the fact that she saw him everywhere didn't help the plan—because she didn't want to hear his opinion on her…situation. He never liked Ino hanging around with the opposite sex anytime past three in the afternoon, and whenever he did find her with a boy, both would have hell to pay. Asuma was like the father that actually cared.

After vanishing for five months, Ino noticed Asuma's aging, something she always teased him about but honestly never saw. Now, Ino noticed the slight sag of his cheeks and dark circles under his blood shot—from sleep deprivation no doubt—eyes and…was that a liver spot on his forearm, or did he burn himself with a cigarette again?

Asuma would definitely see the change in her…unless he went blind while she was gone. Before Ino left, she had long, golden locks with sparkly, ocean blue eyes. She was pretty, gorgeous even, but now, as she tiptoed behind him, she sported short, uneven hair thanks to Hidan chopping it off with a rusty scythe and a baby bump the size of a melon. She was ugly, unattractive.

"Hi, Asuma-sensei," she whispered, causing him to swiftly spin around, almost knocking down a pot that her mother grew petunias in. Ino balanced the flower pot before it teetered off the side of the table.

"Holy pregnant…."

"Huh?"

Asuma's eyes jerked from her stomach to her eyes. "Hi, Ino," he mumbled, panicking as he scrambled for words. His eyes began to slide down her stomach, but once he caught himself, he forced his astonished eyes back to her curious blues. "Uh, how was your mission? Did you find your murderer?"

Ino smiled and rubbed her stomach, subconsciously trying to cover her bump from her ex-sensei's eyes. "I definitely did," she answered quickly then changed the subject as swiftly," How is Kurenai? Shikamaru told me she gave birth several weeks ago."

"It's nice seeing her skinny again—not that she wasn't pretty when she was fat…er, pregnant, I mean." Asuma cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. Ino only smiled. "Um, she's fine. The baby, uh, Mikoto, is doing well, too. You'll have to see her sometime. Choji already met her."

"I'd love to meet her."

"Hmmm."

Silence.

She tried to maintain her bogus smile, but it wavered when he used the silence to take a glimpse at her stomach, looking as if he contemplated whether he should ask about it or prod it with a sharp stick. "Sensei, please stop staring. I know it's surprising."

"I—I…Sorry."

Silence.

"I hear Shikamaru is the father."

"Did he tell you that?"

Asuma nodded, a blush creeping upon his tan skin. Ino understood. Talking about his students' pregnancy—borderline their fictional sex life if you thought it—was embarrassing for Asuma…and for Ino; lucky Shikamaru wasn't there. Ino just smiled through the humiliation and pretended they discussed the weather, an innocent topic that didn't consist of babies and an ex-student being knocked up.

"I never knew he had it in him."

Ino hesitated, unsure of what to say. She didn't expect Asuma to further the discussion of her and Shikamaru. "Neither did I," she responded. Asuma released a bone shaking laugh, startling Ino and then a hard jab nudged her from inside. "What the…?" Ino mumbled, rubbing a hand over her stomach which was greeted with another firm thrust to her palm.

"What's wrong?"

"It kicked me."

When Ino looked up from her stomach to Asuma, she rushed over to him, seeing as he was pale and if it was possible, turning paler by the second to the point that he should have fainted or died…or something…. "Sensei, are you okay? Breathe, Asuma!"

"Holy pregnant…," he squeezed out.

"I found my clippers!"

* * *

Sakura rubbed the nape of her neck and rolled her head in a circle in a futile attempt to rid the kink in her neck. Ino sympathized for her roommate, being on call twenty four-seven and having ten hour work days with the weekends as her day offs. Since she's given mission rarely, Sakura now works at the hospital full time.

"So what is it you need, Ino?" Sakura groaned and leaned back in the cushioned chairs, eyes forcing closure.

"I was wondering what you want to find in the microwave when you get home."

It took a second for Sakura to answer considering she fought against extreme fatigue and symptom diagnostic overload on her brain. "Mm, surprise me," she slurred. "Can you go to the store…and buy me the, um, energy pouches? You know…the energy pouches that have energy in a pouch."

Ino giggled at the delirious rosette and wanted to stay longer to see what other cutesy things she'd say, but Sakura must—that poor girl—go back to her work. "Take those energy pellets you keep handy," Ino suggested, standing up from her seat and ultimately waking up Sakura who dozed off.

"Goood ideaah." Reaching into her medical pouch, she took out a zip lock bag filled with brown spheres. Sakura plopped two pills in and suddenly, the alertness came back into her emerald eyes, awake and ready to push five more hours of work. "Hey, Shizune, where are the x-rays from Tenten's ankle? I think we might need to put her in a cast," she said, walking out of the room before she was completely out of Ino's sight, Sakura looked back and smiled. "I'll be home later, Ino."

At nine in the evening, the hospital wasn't busy as usual, no one came through the door with a broken arm and no one came in a puff of smoke with blood gushing from nameless places, but the medics still hurried around the building with symptoms and patients on their minds. Three people sat in the waiting room. None of them looked sick or injured so they must have been, well, waiting for someone.

Outside, the summer's night breeze greeted Ino heated skin, and she welcomed it, spreading her arm to relieve her underarms and sides with cool air while inhaling a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air.

Ino waddled towards the closest convenient store to buy Sakura's energy drinks and maybe some lotion—damn stretch marks were itchy as hell and made her skin unbelievably rough. Plus, a foot massage with lotion might feel better than a dry massage. Ino grinned, excited for Shikamaru's next visit.

"Good evening," the store clerk greeted as Ino entered the store, bowing his head in politeness. Ino did the same then ambled towards the refrigerated section. There were so many energy selections. What kind did Sakura like?

"Oi, you."

Leaning against the door next to her, Temari eyed her with a snarl. She raised a brow at the sight of Ino's belly, and as if the baby could sense the tension or could see Temari, it thrust against her insides once again. Maybe it wanted to punch her in the face as well….

"The rumors were true," she mumbled, still glowering at Ino's bump. Ino wanted to roll her eyes, but she kept them glued on Temari's scrutinizing face. Of all people to hear she was pregnant, it had to be Temari. It was her luck…or karma was getting its revenge after she did who-knows-what.

"I'm hearing that this thing is Shikamaru's, is that right?" she asked.

"This _thing_ is Shikamaru's _child_, yes."

Temari shook her head with the look of disgust on her face. "Why in the hell would he go for someone like you? You're nothing but a whore. I'm sure you planned this so you could take him away from me."

"Yeah because my life revolves around you," Ino sarcastically countered, rolling her eyes. She proceeded to open the door to grab Sakura's drink, slamming the door against Temari's face. The other blonde staggered back as she rubbed her nose that was turning a pretty scarlet. Ino couldn't help but smile.

Before she knew it, Temari's hand was wrapped around Ino's throat, pushing her against the frigid doors. "Just fucking stay away from Shikamaru before I beat your ass. You're garbage, worthless to Shikamaru. Actually, you're just a piece of shit; no one wants you here. You should have stayed in Kumo." With that, Temari released her throat and left.

* * *

Sakura kicked off her shoes as she ascended the stairs, gathering them in her hand and made the journey to her room bare footed. Goodness it felt great to take her shoes off….

Her hallway was dim, like it should considering it was two in the morning, and no one wanted to see a bright light if they were crazy enough to leave their flats at such an odd time. Each room she walked by were silent as they should be.

However, her apartment greeted her with soft sobs coming from the dark. The clock ticked and the refrigerator hummed its normal tune, but the whimpering and the occasion cough worried Sakura. Ino shouldn't be awake.

"Ino?" she called, flipping the light switch. She found Ino curled up on the couch with a pillow stained from tears rested under her head. "What's wrong?" Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear and brushed an escaped tear with her thumb. "Ino?"

"Sakura," Ino sputtered, fresh tears streaming down her face. "Just hold me, please."

So, Sakura combed her fingers through Ino's hair, trying to calm her down and stop the tears.

* * *

_Thank you for reading!  
__Favorite, review, alert—I like!  
__Have a magnificent day. _


	29. Crawl: Those Kind of Days

**29. Those Kind of Days**

* * *

The morning after he terrified the employees on the Blue Pub, a vicious hawk swooped down to his window sill and dropped off a message…after it attempted to claw Hidan's eyes out. Scaring the shit of those people was the most fun he's had in months, and he knew it was a bad idea on his part, so Hidan wasn't surprised to see capital letters and curses screaming at him as he read the message.

The first thing his client did when Hidan opened the door to his apartment was chuck a lamp at his head. Hidan didn't flinch as the lamp whizzed past his head and smashed against the wall. It wasn't the first time he threw something at Hidan, and this time most likely won't be the last. With a triumphant grin on his face, Hidan plopped on the couch and pulled his feet up on the coffee table as he watched his client pace the floor, grumbling incoherent curses and flaying his arms in the air as he damned Hidan to Hell. Jashin, this guy was hilarious to watch.

"I already fucking told you she was in Konoha," he hissed at Hidan, who grinned. "Why the hell did you go to the pub?"

Hidan began to zone off as his client began to babble about slicing Hidan's limbs off and dumping them in the ocean. A heart shaped face with angelic, hazel eyes and curly blonde hair pressed against a sweaty forehead and neck replaced the image of the fuming client. Hidan grinned again; he scared the living shit out of everyone at the rundown pub…especially that cute, blonde chick. He should have taken her there and then; no one would care if he had some fun.

"You're damn lucky ANBU didn't catch you, or this, _my plan_ would be ruined."

Ino was the last time Hidan had any _real_ fun. Hearing her terrorized screaming echoed in his head and the memories of her blood spilling scarlet on the sheets as he drove a kunai through her body sent a surge of ecstasy throughout his body. A sensation of exhilaration cumulated deep in his stomach as he continued to remember that night and all that pain he brought the blonde woman, paying no heed to the hooded man ranting about Hidan and his stupidity.

Hidan regretted not taking that girl back at the pub. She'd be better than Ino, he believed. With such untainted, virtuous eyes and delicate, unscarred skin, that blonde never experienced true pain, the type of pain that made one beg for death. Hidan crumpled under the images his imagination supplied him; the way he pictured her underneath him while withering in pain was unbearable.

"Are you fucking listening to me, Hidan?"

"Yes."

The cloaked client sighed and massaged his temple. "Don't ever set foot there again unless I tell you otherwise. Everything will be ruined if you do."

"Can't you forget about that girl—Ino or whatever the hell her name is? She's no threat to your plan if she's in Konoha."

"I want revenge, Hidan. I want to kill every single person that he has felt some connection to, starting with his fucking employees then his family, until he's the very last one. He'll beg me for death."

Hidan rolled his eyes. This guy was some lunatic…. "So, you're telling me I have to go to Konoha just to kill the girl and come back? That seems like a waste of time and my life." Hidan mentally grinned at his little joked. See, he was immortal…which means he can't die, and he had all the time in the world. HA. Funny, funny.

"Hm, no, I have a plan."

Fuck him and his plans.

* * *

"Didn't I tell you to wash your dishes, _Shikamaru_!"

Nightmares woke up people, and those said people want to fall back asleep, but from the roar of his mother's voice hollering from the kitchen, Shikamaru just woke into a nightmare and he wished he could fall back asleep. Waking up to a furious mother who was always tyrannical and borderline insane had 'rough day' written all over it.

"Sorry!" he cried, jumping out of bed and rushing towards the kitchen to see his mother in the motion of chucking a dirty plate at his face. Shikamaru caught the plate and placed it on the table. "Didn't Dad tell you to stop throwing things, especially plates? We can't afford buying a new set of plates every week."

"Then _clean them!" _

Shikamaru slouched and wished he could shrink three sizes to hide from his mother's vicious glower, but suddenly, she smiled and walked out of the kitchen, hands balled up at her side as she marched done the hallway. "The plates better be clean when I get back," she sang.

Good grief, he'd never understand women and their psychopathic ways.

Shikamaru sideway glanced at the clock since he was so fear stricken that he was unable to check the time before getting out of bed. "Are you joking me?" he growled as the slapped the water on and dumped his hands into the suds and the steaming water. Washing dishes was the last thing Shikamaru wanted to do at five in the morning—actually, it was the last thing he wanted to do, period. "It's five in the morning," he ranted to no one in particular besides himself. "What kind of mother does this to her son?"

"Shikamaru, are you talking?"

"Eh, no."

"_Honey, you didn't do the laundry!"_ Shikamaru winced at the sound of his mother's growl, followed by a crash and a whimper. There was something, or rather someone missing, in this chaotic event. Shikamaru grinned when his father began to beg for forgiveness, and he'll do the laundry as soon as possible, just give him five minutes to pee.

Everything was in place, and the typical Nara morning was underway, but Shikamaru had a feeling that the day ahead was going to be _that_ kind of day, the day where the world pummeled him into the ground with mishaps and the feeling of utter failure. Yup, he can feel it coming on, and the feeling multiplied when Yoshino charged in screaming he was washing the dishes wrong….

* * *

Sakura woke to her alarm clock boisterously ringing the the distant background, muffled by her closed bedroom door. How come it sounded so far away? Sighing, Sakura opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling fan spinning slowly above her, and at the corner of her eye, she noticed blonde hair peeking over the couch cushion.

"Ino?" the rosette called, reaching up and poking the closest part of Ino she could touch.

"That's my butt."

"It's very nice."

"Shut up."

Sakura smiled and sat up, looking around at her surroundings. Well, she fell asleep on the living room floor, and for some reason she allowed Ino to take the couch over her. She must have been drunk….

Wait, no.

"What happened last night? Did I come in drunk?" she asked Ino who rolled onto her side, facing the couch rather than Sakura who rubbed her temple for any sign of a headache. No headache…. "Ino, what happened?"

"I was crying…last night, and you sat there until I fell asleep." As if Ino knew Sakura's next question, she said, "Temari and I talked last night." How funny. "She told me I'm worthless, a waste of life and," Ino paused, sheepishly laughing as she turned on her back, tears slowly spilling from the corner of her eyes. Sakura wiped them away with her thumb, "she said to stay away from Shikamaru because apparently, I'm a waste of his time, too."

Sakura's eyes fell onto Ino's round stomach, the stomach that supposedly held Shikamaru's baby, but she didn't believe that—and she would never tell Ino she thought differently. Unless Shikamaru and Ino slept together before she left for Kumogakure, there would be no way—wait, even that didn't make sense. That would leave her eight months pregnant.

Six months pregnant would mean she conceived about two months into her mission, and Shikamaru didn't leave until she was three months into the mission, so how could it be possible that Shikamaru was the father?

"Don't worry about anything Temari says, all right?" Sakura smiled, patting Ino on the shoulder before standing up. "What she says isn't true. If Shikamaru thought you were a waste of his time, do you really think he'd willingly come here to spend time with you?"

Ino returned the smile, but the light didn't rise to her eyes. "Don't do anything rash."

Did she notice how stiff Sakura stood? Or the very thought of Temari sent her into maddening fury to the point where she saw red? Sakura waved her off, hoping that would ease Ino a little. "Don't be silly," she said with a laugh, a fake one but maybe Ino didn't catch it. "I'm late for work now. I'll see you when I get home."

* * *

"Here are the proctors Temari and I have agreed to," Shikamaru said as he handed the folders that held the pending proctors' information. "We need you to narrow them down to twenty-three, and we'll work from there."

"Done. Here you go."

"Eh! But—"

"Everyone is valid for the job, but you do understand that we're in need of thirty proctors, right? You only have twenty-seven. Also, you're missing some of the proctors' health reports. It's important you supply that information as well. How long have you been doing this, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru snatched the file away from his superior and snorted at her question, receiving a raised brow from her. "The health reports just slipped my mind, that's all, and we've had twenty-three proctors every year. No one informed me that we needed thirty, and _I'm_ the head of all this," he hissed.

Tsunade smirked. "Excuses! I want everything on my desk soon. The exams are approaching, and if we're not prepared, the exams are going to be…interesting to say the least."

"I understand that. I supposed I'll gather those health reports…and recruit more people."

"Please work on that. I'm counting on you, Shikamaru." Great, just what he needed—more pressure.

Shikamaru trudged down the steps and made his way over to the hospital, fumbling through the files and noting which proctors needed their health reports. All but one needed their reports. Good grief.

"Oh, hey, Sakura, I was wondering—" Nothing in the world could prepare him from a surprise, chakra filled sucker punch from the Hokage's apprentice, sending him on his ass and skidding across the tiles, knocking down innocent bystanders who were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"You think you can come up to me like that, thinking everything is grand and all right?" Sakura snarled, stomping up to him and shoving him into the wall with a tight grip on his collar. Shikamaru heard of the rosette's temper, but what the hell did he do to deserve the receiving end of this? "Don't look at me like that; what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Why the hell did you sock me?" Shikamaru groaned as the pain finally set into his left cheek.

"You're damned girlfriend that's why." Sakura released Shikamaru who slid down the wall and pressed a hand to his face, a bruise starting to set into his skin. "I've never been so mad at you, Shikamaru! You're a two-timing, cheating, two faced asshole!"

The people in the hallway seemed to have cleared the area considering the background noise was hushed. Shikamaru peeked around the hovering medic to see no one stirred in the hallway besides him and Sakura. "I really don't understand what is going on here."

"Have you been telling Temari Ino's a waste of your time and that everyone hates her?" Sakura enquired, fists clenching in preparation for another punch.

"What, no! Why would I say something like that? Ino's my—"

"Temari cornered her last night and threatened her. What kind of person does that?" Sakura hollered. "She said Ino was a waste and told her to stay away from you."

"Why are you yelling at me for this? You should really be beating Temari, not me." It was true. Shikamaru knew nothing about this, but what was more interesting was why would Temari do such a thing when their relationship was strictly benefits, no strings attached? Jealous, maybe, and with that, another question arises: did that mean she knew about Ino's and Shikamaru's situation?

"You're confused, Shikamaru."

"What?"

"Your feelings," Sakura calmly responded. She sat down and looked him in the eyes. "You keep a relationship with Temari, but you have a baby on the way with Ino. I don't know if you have feelings for Ino or not, but you're having a baby. Fooling around with another woman isn't very fatherly, is it?" Shikamaru opened his mouth to responded, but Sakura raised a hand. "You need to get your priorities straight because how you're going about is not right. It's not fair to Ino, the baby, and…Temari." Sakura sneered at the Suna girl's name.

He sighed, glaring at Sakura's shoes. Shikamaru never noticed how "confused"—detached would be a better term to describe his feelings really—he was when it came to the two girls. Shikamaru _did_ agree to be the baby's father, but did he really understand the concept of being a _father_? No, he didn't. Shikamaru, subconsciously no doubt, ran away from Ino and her baby, running into Temari's arms who knew just what to do to erase all feelings of anxiety and fear.

"I'll take care of everything," Shikamaru promised, smiling at the young woman sitting across from him. He stood up and held a helping hand for Sakura, who took it. "Is Ino home?"

"Yeah, she's pretty beat up about the whole Temari thing. It's odd Ino actually took it…."

"Right…." Ino taking Temari's trash was beyond uncharacteristic. If anything, Temari could be sporting a black eye and possible internal bleeding. Moreover, Ino actually taking what Temari said to heart? Even more unusual… "I'm going to talk to her. Oh, and can you copy the health records for these—where'd it go?"

Shikamaru swore he had his folders in his hand…. Oh, right, Sakura punched him and sent everything in his hands flying.

Sure enough, down the hall, in the waiting room, Shikamaru saw the blue folder sitting on the floor and the accumulated records scattered around it…with little kids drawing silly mustaches on the pictures in bright pink crayon. Awesome.

Temari was the type to confront and be rather aggressive if the situation presented the time to be such, but Ino didn't do anything to to piss her off—well, besides that she's pregnant with "his" child, but Temari couldn't be jealous over that, could she? Temari was the one to say their relationship was sexual, no strings attached, and it seemed he was the only one to stick to it.

Shikamaru ran on adrenaline as he marched up the stairs as if he were on a mission and when he came to Ino's door, about to knock, he froze. What would Ino do?

He sucked it up and knocked.

Back in Kumogakure, he remembered seeing her for the first time, the sunken, dead eyes and the paleness. Ino opened the door, and it was as if he relived the said moment. Her hair stuck to her cheeks, her neck, her forehead and her eyes were tainted with red, from a day's worth of crying.

Before Shikamaru could say anything, Ino slammed the door in his face.

"Ino, we need to talk!" He pounded the door and twisted the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

"I'm only doing what your girlfriend said! Stay away from me, Shikamaru. Apparently, you'd rather be with Temari. That's really fine with me. This child and I don't need you whatsoever! Don't talk to me anymore!"

Leaning against the door, Shikamaru begged, "Open the door, please. I messed up with you and…Temari. If you just open the door, we can talk and—"

"Leave!"

"Listen, I'm sorry, Ino," he said hastily, hoping Ino didn't walk away from the door. He waited there for several long minutes, waiting for Ino to open the door and allow him to speak, but the television played loudly beyond the door, drowning out Shikamaru's pleas and knocks.

A while ago, Asuma advised him to leave Ino alone unless she asked for help and condolence, so Shikamaru left.

He walked past the hospital where Sakura told him to go after he spoke with Ino; he walked past home where his mother told him he needed to come after work to clean the house. He walked into an inn and ghosted to the familiar door, knocking on it before he could understand what he was doing.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing here?"

He leaned forward and kissed her, wanting to forget what just happened, to forget what the day of mishaps and the feeling of utter failure, get rid of the hurtful words that echoed in his mind and felt heavy on his chest and to rid Ino's voice ringing in his ears. For a few hours, he just wanted to forget.

* * *

**Thank you for reading!  
Reviews, favorites, alert—I like it!  
Have a glorious day. **


	30. Crawl: Choice

**I'm going to use this author's note to vent about my frustration with senior year, so bear with me or just completely skip this section. One, it's only the second week of school, and I'm drowning in homework—that's what I get for taking the hardest classes possible I guess, and two, volleyball is completely consuming my free time. And, I'm just gonna stop myself before I just explode. **

**Sorry this update took FOREVER. Excuses are listed above. I know I usually update on the weekends, but this week is definitely an exception cause I'm more busy this weekend than this whole week put together! Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and once my life is somewhat organized, I'll finish this baby. Enjoy.**

* * *

**30. Choice**

* * *

"Planning is nearly complete. Seeing as those who are valid and regularly do the job are coincidentally occupied and their schedules are filled, it's difficult to find anyone who is available and capable, and we're in desperate need of three more proctors. Aside from complication, every single piece of information is accounted for and organized to your liking, Lady Hokage."

With a triumphant smirk, Shikamaru slapped the thick folder before his superior, who always seemed to be disappointed in his efforts and at this particular time, it looked like she wanted to rip his head off she was so disappointed. She sighed and took the folder, opening it. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't ask them to participate? You tell them how it is, you dunce."

Shikamaru sneered at her sharp words, fed up with the nickname she tagged to him, "dunce". She's taken a liking to the word, and he's the sorry soul that has to hear it daily. "Yes, I understand that," he said, "but it is difficult to tell the regulars about exam duty when they're all on extensive, undercover missions until that time, and I'm not including setbacks on their missions; so really, unless the mission goes smoothly which we all know won't happen, the regulars will not be here on time. Unless a miracle happens, we need to fill their spots with the premonition that there will be setbacks, you know like injuries, bandits, lunatics, and etcetera. The way I look at it is that the participants won't find it intimidating when a proctor barges into the examination room late…or with a broken leg or whatever ailments."

"All right, all right, geez!" Tsunade huffed, waving Shikamaru silent. She massaged her forehead and sighed. "You're giving me a headache. I'll approve and send them to Ibiki, but you better make sure you have those spots filled. You have until the end of the week to figure it out."

"You're too gracious, Lady Tsunade," Shikamaru cooed as he backed up of the room and on the way out, grabbing Temari, who chilled by the door during his and Tsunade's discussion. "Have a good day," and with that, Shikamaru closed the door quietly, grinning in victory. First time he's gone to the office without having something fairly large or sharp chucked at his head.

Temari laced her fingers with his smoothly that Shikamaru almost didn't notice. He frowned by let it happen. "She was okay that time," Temari commented as they made their way down the hall. "She didn't throw anything at us this time."

"She was hungover," he explained in a deadpanned manner, taking the opportunity to open the door for her which in return gave him a reason to release her hand.

"That explains it." Temari reached for his head once more, but Shikamaru dodged it by coolly sliding his hands in his pockets. She didn't seem fazed by the action. Instead, she linked her arm with his and gave it a tight squeeze with a bright smile on her face.

"So, what are we going to do today? We have about four days to ourselves." He vaguely remembered promising Temari that if they finished planning early, they could spend the last few days together, do anything she wants, and he hoped that she forgot….Just his luck that she didn't.

"Well," his voice trailed as he thought of an excuse to _not_ spend time with her. "we still need to find the other proctors."

"That'll be easy," she exclaimed, waving him off. "C'mon, Shika"—he winced, how he hated that nickname—"have a little fun. What's been going on with you lately? You look so…depressed." He raised a brow. Depressed? That wasn't half of it.

Could he help it? No, not necessarily. His best friend was rumored pregnant with his child and instead of being her best friend, teammate, and supposed baby's daddy, he decided to run to Temari and be with her. He could have had a great "relationship" with Ino, still be her friend, but did he do that? No, and yes, he regretted it.

What could he right his wrongs with Ino? Have absolutely no contact? It's been near a week since Shikamaru last spoke to Ino—or tried to, really. She must be having a jolly good time without him bugging her. Shikamaru, on the other hand, felt like his insiders were being slowly ripped out from his belly button as every day passed, being unable to see her face or her growing belly that held…his infant killed him inside. Why? He didn't know. He swore he didn't have any attachment to Ino or the baby, definitely not the baby.

All this drama, this mayhem, happened because of the woman that latched onto his hand, and in the past week, did he ask her what happened between her and Ino? No, he didn't because he's a pansy.

"I've been stressed."

"Oh, about what?"

Shikamaru smirked and glanced down at the dirty blonde woman from the corner of his eye in mischievous. It was time to make her squirm a little. "You don't know? I'm sure you would have heard by now. It's all over the village." Temari's arm tensed around his, and she quickly released his arm, looking at him as if she were guilty of killing his pet hamster or rather, telling Ino to stay away from him, that she was worth nothing.

"What is it?"

"My mom's birthday is coming up in a few days, and I don't know what I'm going to get her. I'm trying to think of a gift that she would only enjoy." He watched relief wash over her face.

"Really?" she breathed.

No. "Yeah."

Temari slowly linked their arms again. He could feel her heart drumming against his arm. "I have an idea then. How about we go find something for her? How about a trip to the spa with her girlfriends? Has she ever done that?

Shikamaru zoned out her suggestions and stared at the _almost_ angelic face of the sand kunoichi. With such an abrasive personality, Temari should have confronted him about the Ino situation, right? Shikamaru knew Temari well enough to know she would address an issue straight up.

"How about we save that for another day?"

"But I only have—"

"Can we walk, walk and talk?"

"All right. That sounds nice, I guess."

Shikamaru was a patient man, or so he liked to think, but he couldn't handle it anymore. He needed to know what Temari thought, what she said to Ino, and he needed to tell Temari to leave, get out and never talk to him again. "Did you have a good time?" he asked, shoving his hands deep in his pockets when he noticed Temari's fingers creeping towards hands. "I had a good time with you." Half true.

"It wasn't the best trip—"

"How so?" he asked hastily, cutting her off. "Did I do anything wrong that upset you?"

"No, not at all."

"Then, what's the matter? Did something happened, or did you hear any rumors"—he mumbled the rest so low that Temari, who was squished against his side, couldn't hear—"that could possibly ruin this relationship forever?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Temari looked detached from the moment, in deep thought no doubt. She hesitated to speak, nibbling at her bottom lip as she glowered at the ground. Finally, "you have to tell me something," she mumbled, still chewing at her lip.

"Hm?" Was this it? He peeked down at the sandy blonde woman tucked under his arm. She trailed a finger down is clothed chest and fiddled with his zipped of his vest. Temari looked up and sheepishly smiled at him with the sun hitting her radiant face at the perfect angle. Shikamaru looked away. That smile, that face would be the death of him.

"I heard a rumor about you and Ino."

"Whatever you heard is mostly a lie," he clarified nonchalantly, "especially the garbage coming out of Genma's mouth." Everything was a lie. People lived in the truth of Shikamaru's and Ino's lies, and it'd stay like that for many years to come.

"So it's not true that she's pregnant with your child?" Temari questioned, sounding hopefully and delighted to think for a second that the truth—well, the lie but for everyone else, it was the truth—wasn't actuality. Sucks her mood will be ruined in the next two seconds…

"No, that is true," he admitted quickly with firm lips and a hard stare, but soon the stern disguise released a blush when Shikamaru briefly thought that people thought he and Ino had…sex—oh hell, Shikamaru, Ino, and sex didn't sound right in the same sentence. Just thinking about it sounded wrong. Never again will he think of Ino in such way…never ever.

"Did you elope to Kumogakure? Did you two get married? You told me you were on a mission!"

That was new.

"I was on a mission to find her, Temari—that wasn't a lie. She seriously went missing."

Temari stood walking and stared at him—no, she stared through him as if she were working a complicated math problem in her head. "She went missing, so how did she…?" Shikamaru never expected Godzilla to emerge from the girl, but she definitely did when her face turned the darkest shade of red with pursed lips and eyebrows knitted together as she glared daggers at him. "When exactly did you do the dirty?" she yelled, gathering the attention of bystanders. Shikamaru hushed her, but Temari jabbed a finger into his chest. "When, Shikamaru! How far along is she anyway?"

Shikamaru flinched and recoiled from the hard poke, rubbing the tiny spot that would soon sport a bruise.

"Don't you think you're asking the wrong person?"

"Well, you were there when your love child was conceived."

"You think I remember?" Shikamaru countered. He wanted to laugh, laugh in her face and tell Temari she's upset for _no reason_. "Why don't you go talk to Ino if you're so interested in our situation?"

Temari laughed. "Like she would talk to me after what happened last…week." Her face fell and shock washed over her now pale face.

Shikamaru smirked. "Why's that? Did you tell her things you shouldn't have?"

Temari gained back her confidence after a few seconds, to Shikamaru's dismay, and she smirked back. "I did actually, and what I said was true. You can ask Ino for the details. Oh, random thought!" She flashed him a devilish grin. "It surprises me you haven't told me. Ino told me she was pregnant with your kid last week. Now, this whole week, we've slept together…countless of times, and you're just now telling me you're going to be a daddy.

"I was waiting for you to tell me about it, Shikamaru, but it's obvious you're ashamed of what you did. What makes everything worse is that you initiated everything that went on with you and me. What do you have to say for yourself, Nara Shikamaru?"

Nothing. She got him, tongue tied, speechless, and dumb founded. Was he really ashamed?

She smiled and caressed the back of her hand against his cheek. "You're too young to be a father. Why don't you come home with me? You won't have to be a father, just you and me. Just dump her. She's worthless to you."

Shikamaru smiled and grabbed her hand. "Thank you," he said, setting her hand at her side. "You made me realize how much of a douche bag I've been to Ino. Go home, Temari, we're done." With that, Shikamaru turned around and left.

* * *

Shikamaru wasn't a man that was smooth with his words, only when he had strategies planned out in his head and he had to vocalize them. He definitely wasn't a man that was "smooth with the ladies." He didn't know what to say to woo a girl. The only thing he was good for was making himself look like a dick, according to Ino a few years back. Did he oppose to that? No, not necessarily.

As Shikamaru marched up the stairs of Ino's apartment complex, he planned what he wanted to say to Ino. However, before he could spill his feelings all over the floor, he needed to beg for forgiveness, get on his knees if it came to that.

He knocked on the door with authority, a loud bang that anyone could hear outside. Then, as the door opened, his plans, his words vanished. Shit.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He didn't expect to be tackled to the floor by a flash of pink, and he certainly didn't plan for it to happen. Sakura flicked his nose and hissed, "You need to get out of here. Ino is on a hypothetical killing spree right now, and you're the first person she wants dead. If she sees you, she actually might kill you."

"If you'd get off me…"

"Right."

"So, are you telling me that I can't see Ino?" Shikamaru inquired as he grabbed for Sakura's offered hand.

"Yeah, she's having pregnancy rage or something. Shikamaru, just let her come to you all right? She doesn't want anything to do with you, so what makes you think she wants to see you?" Sakura sighed and leaned against the door. "Give her time to cool down."

"It's been a week. How much cooling down does she need?"

"Well you pissed her off pretty bad," Sakura said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'll put in a good word for you. Now leave before Ino comes out and sees you."

* * *

Ino drummed her fingers against her bulging belly as she waited for Sakura to come back from speaking to their visitor. The conversation had to be hush-hush if Ino went up to the door and pressed her ear against it to listen, but she could only hear incoherent mumbles. So, she sat on the couch and waited for her roommate to return and finish mixing the cookie dough—it's a shame she couldn't scoop her finger through the dough and pop it in her mouth…because of raw eggs, and the unattended dough was calling her.

"Sorry," Sakura said when stepped into the room. "That was Naruto. He asked if I wanted to hang out, but I told him we're having a girls' night."

"You didn't have to do that." Ino hasn't seen Naruto much, maybe because Tsunade worked him into the ground with all the apprentice stuff or because Sakura shooed him away because Ino was an emotional wreck and Sakura felt obligated to stay with her.

"It's fine. I see him enough during the day. I want to spend time with you."

Ino smiled.

She listened to Sakura work in the kitchen, rolling the cookie dough into perfect spheres and placing them on the nonstick sheet. Ugh, Ino could almost taste the warm chocolate chip cookies melting in her mouth.

"Are you ever going to forgive Shikamaru?" Sakura asked nonchalantly which surprised Ino since Sakura was the person to beat around the bush.

"Eventually but not now," she replied with a yawn which earned a soft nudge against her insides. She rubbed the spot with a smile. What was she thinking? Keeping this baby would ruin his life forever, and he wasn't involved with it? Ino didn't care whether her life burned down in ashes, but ever since they graduated from the academy, Shikamaru was expected to be great, and he can't do whatever expectations when he's bouncing a baby in his arms.

The week she spent at home, she planned and imagined life with a baby, but in the end, she couldn't. "I was never ready to have a kid," Ino said, sighing. "I'm still a child myself if you think about it. Do you think a child should be raising a child?"

Her immature habits of partying and one night stands—though she promised she'd never want to do that ever again—were inappropriate for a new mother, and did she know if she would regress into those habits again? Did she have to will power to stay away?

"Are you letting what Temari said to you? What you really need to do is punch her in the face."

"I'm not going to punch her in the face, Sakura."

"Can I punch her?"

Ino chuckled. "No, I'll take care of everything myself. And adding on to what I said earlier: I'm going to the adoption agency tomorrow."

* * *

**I likey reviews! **  
**And alerts, favorites, and other miscellaneous things that relate to this story. **  
**Have a splendiforous day!**


	31. Crawl: Lessons

**School is finally settling down, or I'm used to the schedule now. Enjoy this chapter. Chapter 32 will be posted soon.**

* * *

**31. Lessons**

* * *

She barely recognized the image the mirror displayed: a pale, almost sickly looking, being with aqua eyes that held no life in the orbs and a firm frown stared back at her, growing deeper when the face of this familiar stranger took in the whole appearance of this person. Ino couldn't do much to change her appearance—it's the consequence for long, sleepless nights, spending majority of her time indoors, and being too depressed for her liking. She didn't care much for a shower, or dressing in cute clothes, or make-up.

She was broken into tiny bits over the past few months, engaging in emotions of and events that she hoped she'd never experience and those bits were shattered in the matter of a couple weeks, slowly deteriorating into oblivion as each day passed. She isolated herself, keeping people at bay from entering her world. However—Ino turned sideways to reveal her bulging belly—the problem would disappear in an estimated two months. All her problems would disappear.

However, she ran her fingers up the curve of her stomach, up from her belly button and over the curve of her pregnant belly, earning a slight nudge from inside her. She smiled. Being a couple weeks from seven months meant that people didn't question whether she was obese or pregnant—it was apparent she carried a child. Also, it was somewhat…cute, her baby belly that is. If she could walk around with a paper bag over her ugly face and still be socially accepted, she would.

Taking one last glance at herself, she grabbed her house keys off her nightstand, shouted at Sakura, who was in the shower, that she was leaving, and left. The night before, Sakura insisted that she companied Ino, but Ino declined.

The adoption agency was on the other side of the village, in a civilian district. Walking that fifteen minute walk was near suicide for Ino, considering how far along she was in her pregnant and that she shouldn't be walking such distances in the first place, says her doctor. By the end of her little walk, her back and feet ached, and the child was fidgety, kicking and pushing hard against her insides, more specifically her bladder.

Ino pinched her legs together and walked into the small building. "Hello, I have been waiting for you!" a woman greeted as Ino waddled through the door. The lobby was cluttered with book shelves filled with books about psychological effects of adoption, the pros and cons of adoption, and there were books on pregnancy. "You must be Ino I presume."

"Yes."

"Well, come into my office and we'll talk."

Ino entered a smaller room which felt more open compared to the front room and the AC gently blew cool air into the room. Ino sunk into the cushioned chair and enjoyed the air blowing against her sweaty face. The other woman, the agent, fiddled around with her filing cabinets, pulling out files and scrapbooks. "My name is Takai Ruka," she said as she continued to dink around with her files. "I'll be your adoption agent from here on out. May I ask where the father is?"

_Oh, I don't know. He's an S-ranked criminal, so he must be doing criminal things and the man that is supposedly the stand-in father is an asshole. _"We're not together at the moment."

"I understand. It happens with young couples these days; it's a shame really."

"It's for the best."

Ruka placed a packet in front of Ino and handed her a pen. "Fill everything out so I can put you in the system, and afterwards, I can send you home with those scrapbooks, and once we've picked out the people you like, we can schedule appointments as soon as possible and form an adoption plan."

Ino scanned the form over, filling in the usual information such as name and address.

"You're a ninja, huh?"

"My occupation isn't the reason why I'm giving this child up for adoption." She watched puzzlement wash over the agent's face. Ruka leaned back in her chair, cleared her throat, and remained quiet until Ino completed the lengthy form.

Ruka flipped through the packet. "You didn't fill out any information about the baby?"

"I don't know anything about the baby."

Instead of prying like Ino expected her to do, she hummed and continued to flip through the pages. "Everything looks dandy," she sing-songed before she picked up a bin full of scrapbooks and placing it on her desk. "You can bring these home with you today and look over them. Um, do you need help carrying it? A woman as far along as you shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting."

Ino hoisted her body out of the seat and took hold of the handle, lifting it to judge just how difficult the walk back home will be with this thing. "I think I'll be fine. It's not that heavy. Thank you, though."

"Have a good day, Ino."

* * *

What the hell was Ino thinking when she decided to carry this thing by herself? She sat down on the park bench and swiped the sweat from her forehead. The first several minutes, she thought she'd be home in no time, but no, her shoulders had to start aching along with the ever present back and feet ache.

If she wasn't pregnant, she wouldn't have all the pains. If she wasn't pregnant, she wouldn't be carrying this bin back to her apartment.

"Ino, what are you doing?"

"Choji." She smiled as the plump young man seated next to her. Has he gotten skinnier?

"I haven't seen you since you left for Kumo. Damn, you really are pregnant." How awkward…Choji would be the one to point out the elephant in the room. Ino cleared her throat to interrupt the silence and smiled at her teammate. Choji grinned. "You're as big as me—maybe even bigger."

"You have a way with words, Choji."

"I mean…at least you won't be that way for long!"

"That makes me feel a little better," Ino deadpanned. "Do you want to do a favor for me?" she hinted, beckoning her chin towards the blue bin filled with scrapbooks. "Can you carry this for me?" Ino grabbed the edge of the bench and picked herself off the bench.

"Yeah, sure." He picked up the bin and for the first time, peered into the contents of it. "Scrapbooks? I didn't know you were into scrapbooking."

"Well…" Ino trailed, letting the conversation die into curious tension between the two friends.

"So, I was wondering about Shikamaru…" Ino inwardly groaned—the last person she wanted to talk about was Shikamaru. "Don't tell him, but I really hope the baby has your looks. We don't need another pineapple head running around the village."

Chuckling, she said, "Trust me; it'll look like me more than Shikamaru." There won't be a trace of pineapple traits or dark hair in this child. Just blonde hair and blue—possibly lavender, but such color has to be recessive—eyes with a brain of a genius and maybe a slight trace of homicidal murderer….Hopefully, the latter wasn't included.

"Is it a boy or girl?"

"I'm not sure."

"Oh, so you're keeping it a surprise?" Ino nodded. "Well, whatever it is, I'm going to be the best uncle ever. We'll have eating contests, and I'll teach it how to fit twenty rolls of sushi in its mouth at one time. I could teach it the Expansion jutsu!'

Ino laughed, a sound and feeling that felt uneasy in her chest but she played it off well and kept herself calm. "I don't think it'll want to be as big as an elephant by the time it's ten, but…Choji," she paused, eyeing the scrapbooks. "I'm giving it up for adoption. Maybe in the future you'll be able to be the best uncle ever, say ten, twenty more years into the future."

"Adoption?"

"I'm not ready to be a mother."

"Oh…" then silence. Peeking from the corner of her eye, Choji looked puzzled as he stared at her…or was that a glare? Ino refused to turn and face, refusing to see the confusion and possibly anger towards her decision. She didn't want to listen to a lecture about giving her child to adoption, but she knew Choji wasn't the man to lecture on a subject he was oblivious to. Suddenly, he hummed and patted Ino on the back, who wanted to jump out of arm's length, roll into fetal position and cry, but she remained at his side, allowing her teammate to rub her back. "I respect your decision. As long as you're happy, I'll be happy."

"You're sweet." For the first time, she wanted to cry in joy, happy tears.

"I hope we can hang out sometimes soon 'cause it's weird without you telling me I'm eating too much."

"I'll probably eat as much as you." Ino rubbed her stomach and grinned. "This thing is like a black hole; I can seriously eat anything."

* * *

The pale blue sky was cloudless that summer day, no cloud in sight whatsoever. What was the point of cloud gazing when there were no clouds? Shikamaru had nothing else to do but lie around and mope, like he did back in the Academy days. If he didn't quit smoking, he'd have a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth right now….

"All right, Son, you've been like this all day; what's going on?" His father, Shikaku, sat next to Shikamaru and stared at his son until Shikamaru focused his gaze on him. He smiled and poked his son in the stomach, which Shikamaru responded by lurching forward with a quiet _oof!_ "Anything wrong?"

"Ino," he mumbled in response, leaning his face into his hand. "Troublesome woman."

"You're upset over a girl?"

Shikamaru's heart stopped for a moment. Did he tell his parents Ino was pregnant? "Well," he said, clearing his throat to stall the moment before his ultimate demise. His mother had to be listening to this conversation and when he confessed Ino is pregnant with his child, she'll come out screaming like a banshee and beat the snot out of him with a frying pan. "She's pregnant…with my child."

"You bastard! When the hell did this happen?"

"Um…"

"I actually don't want to know," Shikaku interrupted, waving his hand to stop his son from speaking. "So, what's the problem besides the fact that you impregnated my best friend's daughter? You want to apologize for getting her pregnant right?"

"Well, no, I—"

"Bastard, why would you not want to apologize?"

"Dad!"

Shikaku lifted a finger to hush Shikamaru from explaining himself. "What you need a sincere apology, something that says I'm-an-asshole-for-not-using-protection. You need flowers, chocolate and pretty diamonds rings—joking about that last one; you'd be so broke, you'd have to either sell your soul to the devil…or die during a mission."

"I'd rather die."

"Me too, but do you know what I did? I _married_ the devil," he whispered. "Now, I'm stuck in I'm-screwed land forever."

"Your fault."

"And I don't regret any minute of it." Shikamaru wondered if his father noticed his wife stalk past the porch in a creepish manner, which was the reason why he said this. Most likely.

"I never knew Mom would be a sucker for diamond rings and flowers."

"It was the chocolate. She was having some kind of mental breakdown, went psycho for a whole week…and she crave a lot of chocolate. Anyway, what I'm telling you is that you need to go up to Ino and apologize for being a jackass then hand her the goodies."

"Dad, I'm not trying to apologize for getting her…pregnant," he said this in a whisper, almost embarrassed of the word _pregnant. _"I messed up. Also, you do realize Ino has the preference of a man? She'd rather eat flowers than put them in a case and stare at the pretty colors."

"Shikamaru, she works at a freaking flower shop. I'm pretty sure she likes the pretty colors."

"If she works at a flower shop, she'll just tease me about picking the wrong flowers or something. If I scoop up a pile of dirt and hand it to her, she'd be fine with it."

"Maybe this is the reason why you screwed up. You think of her as a teammate; you think she doesn't care what you do when in reality, she does case because she is a woman and women are very emotional creatures. Have you ever looked at her as a woman?"

"Well, yeah. I know she has the…and the, you know, plus the—"

"Stop it. You're making me feel awkward, Son."

"Sorry."

"We're off subject now. What did you do to piss her off? Her temper is just as bad as your mother's."

"Don't punch me or anything, okay?" Shikamaru begged as a blush grew across his cheeks in upright embarrassment. Shikaku sighed and waited for Shikamaru's explanation in silence, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited. "Temari and I—"

"This is why Ino's angry with you? You chose Temari over her?"

Did he read Shikamaru's mind or what? "Y-Yeah."

Shikaku sighed and gazed at the sky. "I can't be angry at you because I did the same thing when I was your age, not getting my teammates pregnant but…cheating, I guess. I know you've been with Temari for a while now, but Ino told you she carried your child, did you agree that you'd be in that child's life?" Shikamaru nodded. "You agreed to be there for the child, which means you're completely liable for what happens to Ino as well because she's still pregnant, so if she dies, the kid dies.

"You're a father now, Shikamaru. Maybe it hasn't hit you yet, but being a father means that the child's life is more important than yours. You will do anything to protect it. Until Ino gives birth, you need to think about your actions. Take care of Ino until then. When she gives birth, the kid is all you have to care about unless you still want to be with Ino…or if Ino still want to be with you. But in the end, she's your teammate, so why would you choose not be support her whether she wants you there or not? Does that make sense?"

"Somewhat." Everything confused Shikamaru, which was amazing considering he was renowned for being a genius. It seemed like this genius still had a lot to learn.

"Good talk, Son. I'm going to grab a beer and begin writing your obituary. When I tell your mother, you're forever screwed."

* * *

"So, the object is to find a family?"

"Yes, Naruto," Ino sighed, flipping through the pages of the first scrapbook in the stack. The couple in the picture was young, possibly a few years older than her. The woman had fiery scarlet hair that curled down to her waist and hid her face. Behind the red curtain, blue eyes shined, contrasting against the bright hair and pale skin. The husband was shorter than her, tan and muscular. Both sported the hitae-ite's on their foreheads and shinobi garb.

"Ino, are you sure you want to give him up?" Sakura asked as she flipped through a sea-green scrapbook that had painted, blue flowers on the covers.

"Him?"

"I'm convinced it's a boy. I had a dream about it."

"I'm not going to talk about the gender, and yes, I am sure I want to give him up. Don't pester me."

"What's Shikamaru going to say about it?"

"Shikamaru doesn't have anything to say about it."

* * *

Shikamaru hustled through the corridor, down the the Hokage's office. He didn't understand the emergency of this meeting but considering she sent ANBU to his house to tell him the Hokage requested to meet with him immediately, it had to be important.

He knocked once before he entered the office, without announcing himself. He dodged the dozen freshly sharpened pencils flying his way; the pencil holder crashed against the wall where his head was a second before.

"Lady Hokage," Shikamaru cried while dodging the miscellaneous objects flung in his direction. What did he do to piss off his superior? He met his deadlines, did all her paperwork, and even cleaned his room, what more did she want?

"I blame you, Nara!" Tsunade wailed as she took her chair and chucked it at him. "We're short one proctor and the exams are in two weeks!"

"How can we be short one proctor? I double checked that we had all proctors."

"The guy sent in a proposal that he be exempt from the exams because I mindlessly assigned him a mission that day."

"And you're blaming me for it?"

"Yes!"

"Lady Hokage, if you could stop chucking your office supplies at me, I could easily think of a solution to this problem. In fact I already have a solution." The objects finally stopped, giving Shikamaru a chance to sigh in relief.

"What do you have in mind? Chunin aren't qualified to be proctors, and most Jonin are either proctors already or on missions. ANBU won't take the job no matter how much I pay them—damn them and their pride."

"Just give me a couple days to figure it out. I have the perfect person in mind."

* * *

_Review, review, review-I like! _  
_Favorite, alerts-I appreciate them all! _  
_Have a magical day._


	32. Crawl: Think

**Finally, chapter 32. Thank you all for being patient with me! Enjoy!**

* * *

**32. Think**

* * *

Ino tapped her fingers against her stomach in the rhythm of the rain tapping on the window as she listened to the person on the other line. "Have you made any decisions yet?" her adoption agent asked through the crackling reception. Ino frowned and peeked out her window into the storming, midsummer evening. What a bad time to call... "I-Ino?" the voice called through the static. The light flickered as thunder boomed above her apartment.

"Um, no, not really," she answered with a sigh as she leaned her back against the kitchen counter. "I would like a little more time if that's all right."

"Yes, go r-right ahead! I-It's tough to figure e-everything out. When y-you have several families in m-mind, let me known. I'll call in a f-few days to check up on you."

"Thank you, and have a good night." With that, Ino set the phone in its cradle and sighed, rubbing her expanded belly and earning a nudge from inside. She peered into the living room where her rosette best friend and her boyfriend sprawled on the floor with scrapbooks scattered around them. "We'll find you a good family," she whispered.

"Ino!" Naruto waved her over from the den floor.

Ino hovered over Naruto who was skimming through a purple scrapbook. "Did you find anyone decent enough?" she asked.

The blonde pointed to a picture of a couple with a clown in the middle of them. "They look awesome," he said. "The wife is a family practitioner at the clinic on the other side of the village," he said, pointing at the woman with a charming smile, a beautiful face, and wonderful, curly blonde locks that Ino always wanted. "The best part is that the husband is a full time party clown!"

"No," Ino deadpanned, closing the scrapbook with her foot. "This child will not be raised by a clown."

"Okay, okay," Naruto said, sliding another book towards him. He flipped to a page he marked with a pen. "What about this couple? The wife is a go-go—"

"Naruto, my child will not be raised by people that have questionable careers and/or have been the epitome of my nightmares since I was three. So, whoever is a clown, stripper, go-go dancer, or whatever, you can toss their scrapbook in the bin."

"You have nightmares about go-go dancers?"

"I'm about to punch you."

Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's and giggling. "Naruto, don't piss the pregnant lady off." She grabbed the scrapbook from him and tossed it into the bin.

"It was an honest question."

Ino sat on the coffee table they pushed to the wall for more room. "Just keep looking." Ino reached into the bin and pulled out a blue scrapbook, opening it to the middle of the book to see a picture of the couple's house, a baby blue, two story house. On the next page, the couple held each other in their arms and smiled at Ino. The wife, a brunette with bright blue eyes, leaned against her husband who sported a Jonin uniform.

She peeked past her scrapbook, peering at Naruto's book. The family had a little girl, three years old and adopted. That's nice. Her child would have company, a big sister. Would he be happy about it, having a sibling?

Wait, no. Ino shouldn't care whether he likes having a sibling or not. She shouldn't care if he likes his parents because Ino wouldn't see him…ever. Just as long as it is placed in a good home.

"Naruto, let me see that."

"Why?"

"Can I just see it?"

Ino snatched the book from Naruto and placed it on her lap. Just as she flipped the book open, the lights flickered off and everything fell silent except for the tick of the clock and the pounding of the rain on the window.

"Awesome," Ino sighed, dropping the book on the ground. "Damn storm."

"Ino, the baby can hear you." Sakura jumped to her feet and stretched her arms. "I'll grab candles," she said and hustled to her room after accidentally stepping on Naruto's back.

Ino gradually stood up from the coffee table, groaning when her back protested. "I'll find a flashlight then." Ino waddled into the kitchen and rummaged through the drawers, searching for her emergency flashlight stash.

Where did she put those flashlights? Oh. Ino opened the cupboard under the sink and grabbed the brightest flashlight she could find. A loud knock echoed through the apartment, startling Ino.

"Ino, there's someone at the door. Should I answer it?"

"I got it." Ino swung the door open and flashed the flashlight at the visitor's feet, shinobi sandals. Suddenly, Ino hit him in the face with the light.

"Crap, Ino, do you have to shine the light in my face?"

"What are you doing here?" His teeth clattered boisterously. His hair was drenched and water dripped from the tips of his dark hair onto his trembling shoulders. It almost made Ino feel sorry for him, almost.

"I wanted to know if you're okay."

"Peachy."

"…and I wanted to apologize."

Now that's what she wanted to hear. "Come inside. You're shivering."

Shikamaru followed to the kitchen, water squishing in his shoes as he walked across the linoleum. He pulled off his sandals and his soaked vest, placing them in the sink. Ino turned her back to him when he started taking off his shirt and pants. "Naruto might have spare clothes somewhere….He always leaves his clothes lying around here."

Ino found Naruto sitting on the couch with his nose pressed in a scrapbook. "Looking closer isn't going to make you see any better, Naruto," Ino sighed, taking the scrapbook away from her friend. "Can you hide these somewhere, please?" she whispered, giving the book back to Naruto.

"Why?"

Ino leaned closer, mouth against his ear. "Shikamaru can't know I'm giving it up for adoption. Not yet at least. Please do it for me."

"All right," he mumbled and rolled off the couch, landing on his knees and swiftly piling the colorful books into an organized stack. He took the pile in his arms and bumped them into the blue bin. "Happy?" he grumbled, frowning at Ino over his shoulder.

"Yes. Oh, by the way, do you have any spare clothes Shikamaru could borrow? He's drenched."

"They should be in Sakura's room, somewhere in her closet."

"Don't worry, Ino! I'll get them!" Sakura bellowed from her room followed by crashes and glass shattering. "Oh, shit…" The rosette emerged into the room with a lit candle in one hand and a bundle of clothes nestled under her other arm. Sakura smiled and handed the clothes to Ino before placing the candle on the coffee table and settling into Naruto's side.

"Here you go." Ino chucked the clothes in the direction of the half-naked teammate who curled up on the kitchen counter with his trembling arms crossed over his bare chest. Ino could hear his teeth chattering from she stood.

Ino turned around to leave Shikamaru to dress in peace and solitude, but Shikamaru's voice stopped her, "Temari's gone. I guess I never realized how troublesome that woman can be."

Was that a relief? Well, of course Ino was elated to hear the news, but Shikamaru, as much as Ino hated the idea of it, liked Temari and…well, enjoyed her company. Was he just saying that to make her happy? Ino huffed and turned to face the silhouette that tugged a shirt over his head. "Kudos to you, Shikamaru."

"That's it? No 'ding dong the bitch is gone?'"

"I'll dance around in a tutu and sing a song about how much I hate her when I don't have a baby sitting on my bladder."

"I'm holding you to that."

* * *

Shikamaru watched Ino's silhouette turn and exit the kitchen, leaving him to shiver in the frigid kitchen, so he quickly pulled on Naruto's sweatpants—that were a bit too short and tight for him, but hey, he _couldn't _complain—and followed Ino, hoping she'd give him a blanket he could wrap himself in.

When Naruto spotted Shikamaru, he waved from under the blanket. "Hey, it's been a while! What have you been up to?"

Shikamaru hastily returned the waved. "Work," he chuckled and nodded at Sakura when she appeared from under the blanket. The dull candlelight hit the side of Sakura's face perfectly, revealing her suspicious expression towards him. He decided to ignore it. "I've been planning the Chunin exams for the past few weeks." Sakura glared at him. _Touchy subject—got it. _Shikamaru cleared his throat and focused his attention to his feet. "What about you, Naruto?" he mumbled.

"Just a bunch of paper work," Naruto said with a frown. "I thought being initiated as the Hokage would be more exciting, but all of it is just paperwork."

Sakura rolled her eyes, nudging him with her elbow. 'That's what the Hokage does, Naruto. You of all people should understand that the Hokage hardly fights. You are there to control the peace between the other nations and take care of the village. When the time comes, you may—"

"Yeah, yeah, ye—ow!"

"Don't interrupt me!" Sakura wailed as she knocked the blonde in the head with the side of her fist once more.

"You didn't have to punch me."

"My fist slipped."

A blanket fell on top of Shikamaru's head, clocking his body with immediate warmth. He wrapped the blanket around his body. "Thanks," he sighed as his body stopped shivering. Wanting to take a quick peek at Ino, Shikamaru glanced over at Ino who unfortunately had a blanket wrapped around her body, hiding herself away from him. Shikamaru almost frowned, wanting to see how big Ino has gotten. How far along was she anyway?

Ino merely stared at him without a single emotion skipping across her face, making Shikamaru feel awkward. He cleared his throat and sat on the ground, leaning against the couch that was pushed against the wall by the television set? What were the three of them doing earlier? A game of Twister?

The time passed in uncomfortable silence. Naruto and Sakura whispered to one another, occasionally looking at Shikamaru as if they were gossiping about him. Shikamaru fidgeted in his spot on the ground, hoping someone would start a conversation. He looked to Naruto who was the king of busting awkward silence with his stupid comments and questions, but his blonde headed friend was busy with Sakura to even notice Shikamaru's telepathic cry for help.

Ino stood there, staring at Shikamaru with the same blank expression from before. He couldn't tell if she was pissed or what, but it made him think it was the wrong time to become the knight in shining armor. Besides the fact that she looked beyond angry with him, one, Naruto was over and if he talked to Ino about what he did, his confessions would circulate the streets by sunrise. So he couldn't technically apologize now. Also, when the electricity failed and the whole village fell black, Shikamaru took the moment to run to Ino's apartment to the play the heroic knight when in reality, he risked hypothermia and getting the biggest beat down from Sakura or Ino or both. Thirdly, he just looked like a plain idiot when he came knocking, wondering if she was safe when she was in the comfort of her own home. All odds of becoming the good guy once again were against him….

Sakura cleared her throat, breaking Ino's intense gaze on Shikamaru, who sighed in relief and realized that he's been holding his breath. "Well, it's getting late," Sakura finally said. "I'm going to bed. Naruto, let's go to bed."

"When you say 'let's go to bed', do you mean—?"

"I mean let's go to bed!" Tsunade's protégé bounced up and hustled to her room with Naruto, who tripped over their blankets and managed to grab one before Sakura dragged him into her room.

Once Sakura's door closed, Ino sat on the couch, gripping the blanket closer to her body. "I don't understand you. Why are you here?"

"You want the truth or a romantic, lovesick version of the truth?"

"I don't think I could keep a straight face so just give me the truth."

Shikamaru huffed and rolled his eyes. He worked so hard creating his charming speech on his way over. "It was wrong of me to go to Temari, and it just came to my attention that she…harassed you. She's not in my life anymore, so I hope you take me back."

"Your fickleness is downright irritating."

Did he hear that right? Shikamaru glared at the blonde. "_My _fickleness? Can we _please_ discuss yours? Or how about we discuss your annoying habit of keeping secrets?"

"Okay, Shikamaru," Ino snapped. "If you talk any louder, Naruto and Sakura will hear. I'm not going to ruin our night with bickering."

"You started it."

Ino scoffed. "You're a child."

"Are you trying to start another argument?"

"Would you like another blanket? You look cold."

Shikamaru smirked at the subject change. He won this round. "No, thank you."

"Well, if you want one, you can have mine," Ino said as she took the blanket off her shoulders, showing the bulging baby bump. "He's telling me he's hot…I think."

"It's a he?" Shikamaru lunged forward only to stop himself when Ino lurched into the couch and put up her foot to stop him from coming any closer. She quickly caught her actions and settled down.

"Sakura thinks it is so I'm going to go with what she says for now."

"Can I…?"

"I…Sure," she whispered, taking his hand and resting it against her stomach. He never imagined a pregnant woman's stomach as firm and hard, like underneath her skin was a shell that protects the child. "27 weeks if you were wondering."

"You're getting close."

"Yeah…" Ino's face, in the candlelight, looked almost detached from this moment as if she thought about the future. She suddenly smiled and looked up at him. "You didn't come here just to apologize, right?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat. Damn, she caught him. "Well, now that you reminded me, I came here to ask you a question."

"I'm not marrying you if that's what you're wondering. This 'relationship' is fake, remember?"

"I, uh need a favor from you," he mumbled. Ino cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "The Chunin exams are starting in two weeks, and we're down one proctor. I'd ask Sakura and Naruto, but they're busy playing Hokage and doctor and everyone else is included in the exams, so I was wondering if…?"

His blonde teammate snorted in amusement. "Do you honestly think the testers will be intimidated by a pregnant proctor?"

"You could fake hormonal rage before they start testing."

"Funny, Shikamaru."

"I'm being serious. Throw someone out the window."

Ino sighed. "My doctor isn't going to approve of this, neither is Tsunade if she finds out."

"She already knows. As long as we keep you in the back corner and out of sight, she thinks there won't be a problem. If there is, you got me."

Ino pushed herself off the couch. "I'll do it but I'm not going to be happy." Shikamaru smiled at her, but she couldn't see. "I'm going to bed now. You can sleep on the couch." He grunted in response, laying down on the soft cushions and pulling the blanket up to his neck.

He watched Ino waddle away, rubbing her back and mumbling about how bad the baby killed her back. As she closed her bedroom door, the fire of the candle flickered, dancing across the white walls and the tickle-me-pink carpet. The light uncovered a blue bin in the corner of the room, hiding behind a fake tree Sakura and Ino kept to make things look "nature-y." Shikamaru rolled off the couch and crawled towards the bin, trying to make minute noises.

Scrapbooks. He took the scrapbook on the top of the stack and flipped through the pages. It contained pictures of houses, animals, and people—mostly pictures of the same two people, a couple maybe. On the back cover of the scrapbook, the words "_Why we're the Best Parents for Your Child_" popped at him.

What the hell was she thinking? Adoption, really? She wanted to toss a relationship with her child out the window and allow someone else to have that parent-child relationship because why? From what he knew, Ino was capable of raising a child. She—when she wanted to be, that is—could be mother like and caring. She could cook, do laundry, and love. So why did she want to give her son up for adoption? _He_ could be a great father. However, Shikamaru had to remember that it's not his child and he's only pretending to be the father until…who knows when. What was Ino's plan after the child's birth if she decided to keep it?

As much as Shikamaru wanted to bust into Ino's room and interrogate her, he sat there in the corner and took the scrapbook he threw and began to look for his son's new family.

They'll talk about it in the morning.

* * *

_Can't breathe. Can't breathe. _Ino opened her eyes to close them again due to the summer morning sun shining bright in her face through her open window. She sat up and sucked in a deep breath, regretting the decision to roll on her back to sleep. Despite being seven months pregnant, she can never remember that sleeping on her back is a "no-no."

Well, in two more months she can sleep on her stomach or back—whatever she wanted because she would have a little rascal in the way. If only those two months would speed by.

Ino looked at her window to see what happened in the streets but her gaze was greeted by a face that she was too familiar with in her nightmares. Those lavender eyes stared back at her and he smirked at her as Hidan sat outside her window, elbows perched on the flower box that hung on her window.

"Hey, Blondie."

Ino rubbed her eyes and he was gone.

Ino hastily rolled out of bed and went into the living room to see Shikamaru rummaging through the scrapbooks. Great, one nightmare after another. Ino glanced over her shoulder to look if Hidan really disappeared or if he did some magic trick and was sitting on her bed as she stood before Shikamaru. The silver haired criminal didn't sit on her bed, nor was he hanging on her flowerbox outside the window. She was going crazy.

"When were you going to tell me about this?" Shikamaru suddenly asked, startling Ino. He flipped a page and continued to speak to her while he glared at the picture of the couple, "Or were you not going to tell me?"

"I planned to tell you eventually."

"It'd be nice to know that you were considering adoption. We could have discussed it."

Ino clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes at him. "Adoption didn't come to my mind until literally a few days ago. The idea is still new. Anyway, I hope you're not going to try to convince me into keeping him, right? We both know that we're not ready to be parents, and we both know you'll be wasting your life caring for something that isn't even yours."

"What makes you think that we're not ready to be parents?"

"We're both 19, Shikamaru. As much as you'd like to think otherwise, we are _naïve_. Plus, we have our jobs. You can't forget that even though you are the 'father', this child won't even consider you as one because you'll be gone all the time. I'm not going to be stuck in the house forever. I still want to be a kunoichi and a medic. A baby isn't going to let me do that." It pained Ino to see Shikamaru avoid her eyes, discouraged, but he—and it's a rarity for anyone to say this about Shikamaru—needed to think. He needed to think about the future and what is best for the child, not just him and Ino.

"I still don't like the idea," Shikamaru mumbled. He beckoned his head towards a stack of five scrapbooks. "I found some families that I like. Have you found any?"

"No," she sighed. "You're making progress, though." Ino sat down next to him and grabbed the first scrapbook in the pile Shikamaru made.

"Well, when do you want to meet these couples?"

Ino opened the book and then quickly slammed the book shut, whacking Shikamaru behind the head with it. "When you realize that this child will _not_ be raised by a _freaking clown_!"

* * *

**_Thank you for reading!_**  
**Review, favorite, alert, **  
**what you do,**  
**I appreciate you!**


	33. Crawl: Options

**Surprisingly, school hasn't gotten in the way of my updating but I have spent a ridiculous amount of time sorting out all the hullaballoo and I have to say, I'm very proud of this story and I hope everyone enjoys the several last chapters because, in my opinion, it'll be…somewhat intense—as intense as my writing ability will allow me—and in the words of Kevin Hart (don't know him? Look him up!), "It's about to go down." Please, enjoy.**

* * *

**33. Options**

* * *

The very second Shikamaru sat down at the breakfast table to enjoy the lovely morning with his friends, he realized it was his morning to wash the dishes. Her mother wouldn't be happy to see a pile of dirty dishes in the sink and it make the snowball bigger, she probably caught wind about him and Ino….

With little explanation, maybe a "I have to go, guys" and a "Ino, I'll see you at the hospital around one!" Shikamaru bounded out the door and flew down the flight of stairs. He considered jumping out the window but he knew he'd have two troublesome women that would gladly chew off his ears.

Shikamaru tried to ignore the quizzical glances he attracted as he sprinted down the road in Naruto's garb which happened to be too tight and too short for his rather tallish and a bit wider physique, so he must have looked like his clothes had a fight with the laundry or a grown man still wanted to fit in his little boy clothes. _How troublesome_, Shikamaru thought, cursing Ino for forgetting to dry his clothes. Naruto's clothes had to suffice until he made it home and survived his mother's murderous rampage.

Why was everything so bothersome this particular morning? He could list his major troubles on one hand but with every problem came with about four or five sub-problems. A problem within a problem, how much more elaborate could problem get?

"Hello?" he called into what seemed an empty, _safe_ house as he slid his sandals off and stepped into the calm, silent abode. "I'm home," he whispered, tiptoeing towards his room.

A frying pan shot towards his face at such a great speed that Shikamaru barely had time to step back and dodge the cooking utensil. It broke ripped through the door's screen and clattered on the cobblestone outside as it skidded to a stop. Flying pans? That meant one thing.

"You little bastard!" a monster shrieked throughout the hallway. Shikamaru cringed at the dreadful sound as if someone ran their nails down a blackboard, making that horrendous screeching sound. Yoshino, his mother, popped out of the kitchen, wielding yet another frying pan in her right hand with a cutting board tucking in her pants. Behind her, Shikaku leaned against the kitchen door frame, drinking his morning beer with a smirk. That ass… "Shikamaru, you're so dead!"

Shikamaru tucked under the frying pan Yoshino chucked at his head, which also broke through the door. He hit the deck and crawled down the hallway towards his room, dodging the miscellaneous items his mother—he was wondered how she could find so many things to throw at him—chucked at him. The ground vibrated his footsteps sprinted down the hall. Looking back, Shikamaru watched his mother rampage down the hall with a wooden cutting board in her grasp.

"You insolent, idiotic _idiot!_" Yoshino wailed as she made a flying leap to tackle Shikamaru to the ground as he scrambled to his feet. He lost the fight, no matter how much he struggled, his mother say on him and paddled his butt with the cutting board repeatedly. "Bad boy, bad boy!" she growled.

"Mom, I can explain!" Shikamaru rolled onto his back and sat up, causing his mother to roll of him and fall face first onto the floor. "Can you please let me explain?"

Yoshino was usually quick on her feet but in this particular situation, she bounced to her feet as fast as Lee is when he removes those stupid weights from his ankle. "I already know how you get a girl pregnant! I don't need details!" she shouted before connected her fist with his left eye.

"Eh, Yoshino, babe, the neighbors might hear you."

Shikamaru's mother stepped away from him and looked at Shikaku, who involuntary stepped back and held his beer bottle closer to himself, ready to run if Yoshino decided to turn on him. Shikamaru had half the mind to roll his eyes at his father but Yoshino, like all mothers, had eyes on the back of her head.

"Shikaku," Yoshino said in a calm manner. "Ino is pregnant."

"Yes, honey, I know."

"You didn't kill him for that?" Shikamaru wanted to click his tongue and say 'Obviously not, Mother,' but that was too scary.

"I, uh, gave him a stern talking to."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "Very stern."

Yoshino turned and glared at him. "Shut up." To Shikaku, she said, "You do realize that a stern talking to isn't going to make him realize that he got Ino pregnant? Babies aren't things you can return to the store because you don't want it anymore." Yoshino turned to Shikamaru again. "Please explain what in the hell you were thinking!"

"I, uh, wasn't thinking." He wasn't think when he decided to volunteer to play Mr. Daddy for Ino. If he had thought about it a bit longer, he wouldn't be in this current situation.

"Shikamaru, I am so disappointed. They call you the genius but this genius can't even remember to practice safe sex. When your father and I were dating, we—"

"I understand!" Shikamaru interrupted. He didn't want to hear his parents' sex stories from the olden days so early in the morning—scratch that, he never wanted to hear those stories, period. "It won't happen again, promise."

"I'll make sure it never happens again."

Shikamaru and Shikaku held their breaths, wondering what exactly Yoshino had in mind. "I swear you will be put under house arrest until the day you die or when you find a decent girl that you're willing to spend the rest of your life with, but I doubt the latter will ever happen." Shikamaru flinched at the comment but it's called tough love for a reason, he guessed. "By the way, I want to see Ino before she gives birth. It'll be a shame not seeing her and her cute baby bump," she squealed, magically transforming into regular, sane Mother.

Shikamaru sighed in utter relief. "Don't worry about it, Mom."

"Thank you, Deary. You're lucky you knocked up Ino instead that Temari girl. If that had happened, we would have some _serious _problems, Shikamaru. Mainly because I never liked her—she was so…aggressive."

* * *

Ino tugged at the shirt that threatened to crawl up her expanded belly, giving by passers a peek at her stretched skin which in her and Sakura's opinions was the most uncomfortable thing they've ever seen in their young lives. She growled as children walking with their parents slowed down to gawk at her baby belly. If she wasn't so slow in her current state, she'd chase them down, asking if they want to look at her that way again. Quite frankly, the looks were starting to piss her off and the damn shirt wasn't helping anything.

Shikamaru was ten minutes late. He promised they'd meet at the hospital at one o'clock to go drop off the scrapbooks and form an adoption plan. Funny how he was the one all for it and now he's the one late to his own stinking party.

The thought of Shikamaru left Ino in a state of awe and confoundedness. Ino believe it to be unexpected that he suddenly cared for the baby and her—maybe not her but the baby no doubt. However, she considered it odd that he was interested in the baby when she refused to give any specifics such as, say, the real father. Nonetheless, he had concern for the baby. Maybe an epiphany hit him in the past several days where he thought showing up at her door in the middle of a storm or schedule adoptions parties he was currently late to was a fantastic idea to support her. Whatever the reason, Ino kind of liked it. If he was there the whole time, maybe she would have enjoyed this pregnancy a little bit more.

Sighing, she glanced at the bin of scrapbook resting on the bench—Lordy, that thing took everything Ino had to haul it from her apartment to this bench. Shikamaru and Ino had a tough time deciding what couples were capable of raising…their baby. In the end, which ended with bruises on Shikamaru and painful kicks from Junior, they picked four potential couples—none of which were clowns or strippers.

"Sorry I'm late," an exhausted voice said as it gasped for air between each word. Shikamaru collapsed on the bench, bumping his elbow into the bin. He groaned and inspected his elbow for any bleeding. Ino smiled and sat on the other side of the scrapbook bin as Shikamaru leaned back and sighed. Ino laughed when she spotted the black eye Shikamaru sported around his left eye, possibly he had a run in with her father again and this time, his father did a little damage or maybe his mother heard the news of him and Ino.

"It's about time you came," Ino teased. "I'll give you a second to catch your breath. Running from Death can be hard, I understand."

"I'm assuming Death is my mother."

"Very smart, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru smiled and flicked a strand of hair that somehow found its way between Ino's lips. He exhaled a sharp breath and looked at her with a mix of amusement in his coal eyes. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight," he said, catching Ino off guard. He sat up and smirked at her expression. "It's my treat," he bargained, uncharacteristically wiggling his eyebrows at her.

When in the forsaken world did Shikamaru become so charming and willing to treat her to dinner? Back in the day, she had to have Asuma force him to pay for dinner. He had to be smoking something to become so…well, sweet.

"If it's your treat, I guess I'll go." She couldn't argue with her black hole of a stomach…. "I have to warn you, I am eating for two so I'll give you the rest of the day to rethink and back out of his deal, starting now."

Shikamaru chuckled which confused Ino to all hell and back. Maybe that punch to the face knocked a few things around in the genius's noggin. "Ino, it's fine—seriously."

"All right." Ino shrugged. "Anyway, I told Ruka that I'd be over before two, so if we leave now, we'll be there by two and no sooner, so hurry, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru grabbed the bin and propped it against his hip as they walked down Main Street. Ino wanted to hide her bulging stomach as she looked around and caught several people taking double takes at them as well as whispering to one another. She recognize some shinobi she used to work with, and the fact that they stared at her until she passed didn't help the fact that she wanted to shrink in a corner and die. Really, she wished she could push everything into her and suck it in but sadly, that wasn't a reasonable option. Looking up at Shikamaru, he appeared as if he didn't notice the stares. Ino snorted at the obliviousness that man possessed.

The remained in silence for the rest of the walk to the adoption center mainly for the reason that Ino just wanted to shrink and hide in a corner but hiding behind Shikamaru sufficed and also because Shikamaru didn't make any eye contact with her despite her efforts of looking up at him, waving a hand in his face, and trying to catch his attention to say that he was about to walk into a pole or that he needed to turn left. Her teammate was so entranced in his own mind that she had to drag him around like a doll.

"Shikamaru," Ino hollered, jamming an elbow into his side. Shikamaru scowled at her, rubbing his aching side with a puppy dog pout. "We're here," she said, beckoning to the small building off to their left.

"Hello, Ino!" Takai Ruka greeted excitedly as she and Shikamaru entered the cramp building. Ino smiled and wave, but Ruka's attention quickly shifted from her to Shikamaru, eyeing him with a suspicious brow. "So, is that the father?" the agent asked as she continued to scrutinize him with a disgusting look. Ino, as funny as it was to hear her call Shikamaru 'that', stepped into her view of him.

"Yes, he is and we're back together, very happy couple—see." Ino grabbed Shikamaru's hand and intertwined their fingers together, swinging their arms back and forth. She pulled her fake smile as she nervously peeked up to see Shikamaru's expression. He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her, clearly amused.

"Did you two get back to together?" Ruka asked with fake pleasantry.

"Yes and no," Ino answered, ignoring Shikamaru's soft, "Huh?" Ino squeezed his hand and leaned into him. "Well, you see, he was on a mission when I came in to visit last. It isn't said aloud but we 'break up' when he's on extensive missions such as his last," Ino lied, picking words off the top of her head and prayed that they made sense.

"Right," the agent muttered, still glaring at Shikamaru. "Come back to my office and we'll set up your adoption plan." _Good grief_, Ino though warily as they followed her into the office. Shikamaru unlaced his fingers from Ino's and let them slip from each other as Ino squeezed between the desk and the chair farthest from the door. As they seated, Ino linked her arm with Shikamaru's.

Ruka eyed the two of them which made Ino think twice about the gesture but she just blinked at the agent, acting oblivious to the scrutiny. Ruka cleared her throat and grabbed a pen from her desk drawer. "I have a couple questions for you, Ino. The first one is, well, what are the parents you are considering?"

Shikamaru pulled out the four scrapbooks they set apart from the rest of the books. Ruka set them on the corner of her desk before marking something on a sheet of paper. Ino leaned forward but her stomach refused to let her any further than how she was. She could hear Shikamaru snickering to her right, so she merely kicked his foot with the side of hers.

"After the adoptions papers are signed, do you want any visitations such as a monthly visitations or yearly?"

Did she wanted to see this baby after birth? Did she want to see her child she gave up and see how well his life is without her? Did she want to see the remind of… "No, thank you."

"Ino, what—"

"No," she repeated, interrupting Shikamaru. She heard Shikamaru hiss at her answer, so she unwrapped their arms and leaned away from the brooding young man. Ruka didn't see this for she was scrawling something down on the paper before her.

"Would you like pictures and/or letters sent to you?"

"No."

"Okay, and now what time would you like to meet the couples?"

Ino peeked over at Shikamaru who glared down at his clenched fists that rested in is lap. She looked at Ruka who stared at her expectantly, her pen ready to write down Ino's answer. Ino nudged Shikamaru in the ribs, gaining his attention. "How about after you send the genin into the Forest of Death?"

"Sure, I guess that's fine."

"When is that, Shikamaru?" Ino pried.

"Next Wednesday, around 5:00 PM."

Ino smiled at the adoption agent who stared at the couple with wide eyes, making Ino snort in amusement. She suddenly snapped out of the trance and wrote down the details. "Wednesday at 5:00, after…the Forest of Death." Ino suppressed a giggle hearing the shaking in the agent's voice. "Location?"

"Let's say…the library."

"Excellent. I'll notify the parents and I hope you two have a great day."

Shikamaru was the first to stand up, marching out of the building before Ino even boosted herself out of the chair. Ino waddled as fast as she could while trying to catch up to Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, could you please wait?" she cried as she hustled down the street until she was an arm's length from Shikamaru. "Can you not hear me, you dope? Slow the hell down!"

Shikamaru stopped until Ino caught up with him and only then did he begin to walk at her pace.

"What's wrong with you?" Ino tugged on Shikamaru's wrist to stop him. "God, it's like you're the pregnant one. Is there something wrong?"

Shikamaru looked at her with bemusement. Ino didn't notice the people bumping into them—she didn't notice anyone except for the harsh stare Shikamaru gave her. He suddenly took her hand away from his wrist and rubbed her wrist with his thumb. "Ino," he began in such a quiet voice that Ino leaned in to listen, "There's nothing wrong with keeping the baby. I'm not saying this for my benefit but for yours. A baby would be great for you."

Ino ripped her wrist away and marched forward. Shikamaru easily caught up with her in two, long strides which frustrated her even more. He caught her wrist and stopped her, stepping in front of her to keep Ino from storming off. "Tell me you don't have some sort of connection to him," he challenged. "Tell me you really don't want to see him grow up."

"Shikamaru, I understand what you are saying, but love can only go so far. We'll talk about this over dinner, Shikamaru," Ino finalized, stepping around him. "I'll walk myself home if that's all right. I'll see you tonight."

The village genius sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in agitation. "I'll be over at 6," he called to her. He really needs to shut his mouth sometimes.

* * *

Ino trailed a finger across her stomach, chuckling when her baby nudged her as she poked his foot. She felt him doing somersaults and stretching inside her. At times it was uncomfortable considering that he sometimes stuck a foot in her ribs or pushed down on her bladder, but it was a calming feeling for her, knowing that he was alive and active. Days where he was calm and rather relaxed made her worry because she was used to feeling uncomfortable and found it normal to have a pair of feet kicking in her ribs.

"What do you want to do tonight?" she heard Sakura whisper. Ino glanced over at the couple that leaned over the kitchen counter, making googily eyes at each other. Frankly, it made Ino sick, sicker than when she went through that morning sickness phase. However, it was rare that they spent time to enjoy each other's embrace and kiss each other in such teasingly ways that it almost turned on Ino who was just an innocent bystander but hey, she heard that a woman's libido skyrockets when they're pregnant.

"Can you please stop with a smoochy smoochy crap?" Ino complained. "Whatever dirty things you say, Junior will hear it…and I'm just feeling uncomfortable right now."

"Sorry, Ino." Naruto grinned at her. She rolled her eyes.

She stared at her stomach which seemed so close that she could lean over a kiss it but knowing her limitations, she would just stay in the position she was in that moment.

Ino peeked over at Sakura and Naruto again, feeling jealous that time. After a certain experience seven and a half months ago, Ino believed that she'd never be able to let someone really come close to her like that, letting someone kiss her, touch her. Holding Shikamaru's hand often times sends a panicked plunge in her stomach like she just threw her body off a cliff and was plummeting into an unknown abyss.

How would she react if they kissed, just a small peck on the lips?

No, no, no. Ino shook her head. Shikamaru and Ino weren't _like_ that. They weren't _dating. _They weren't _together_. Between Shikamaru and Ino, they were friends, teammates, or a young man helping out a young woman. To everyone else in the village who knew about Ino, Shikamaru and Ino were together, dating, and a young man who fathered this young woman's baby.

Just thinking about it was weird for Ino. She guessed for everyone else it was sudden; Ino and Shikamaru never liked each other _that way_. She knew people thought they were just friends. What did her friends think? Choji, Asuma? Lee—goodness, she could only imagine Lee's reaction. Kiba, Hinata, and Shino?

Above everyone else, what did Shikamaru think of this situation?

"Hey, Ino, Shikamaru's here!" Naruto announced for the door. Ino turned to Shikamaru waiting outside in his usual black long sleeved shirt and sweatpants. So, Ino guessed, they aren't going to some place fancy. Ino took a glimpse down at her outfit, a purple blouse that made her baby bump look smaller and her favorite maternity leggings. Thank goodness they weren't.

Sakura waved at Ino from the kitchen. Ino wiggled her fingers at her roommate as she closed and locked the door behind her.

"So what do you have in mind?" Ino interrogated only half-jokingly. The other half really wanted to know what exactly Shikamaru had in store for tonight. Never, _ever_ has Shikamaru treated Ino to dinner or anyone else for that matter, so Ino was dying to know how much creativity he stored in his scholarly mind.

"I guarantee you will be surprised," Shikamaru answered in a matter-of-fact attitude. Shikamaru almost smelled like confidence as he strutted down the hallway in unusual positivity.

"Whatever. I know you like the back of my hand, Shikamaru. Let me guess. Are we going to Asuma's place for dinner?"

Shikamaru looked insulted; his strut stopped as her question took him aback in astonishment. "You expect me to bring you to Asuma's to eat his awful cooking? No, Ino, that would be considered torture if you ask me."

Ino stuck her tongue out at him. "I was just kidding, but it's good to know you wouldn't bring a date there. Really you should never bring anyone there if Asuma is expected to cook."

"So, we're on a date now?" Shikamaru joked.

Ino's steps faltered but he didn't notice, thank goodness. "Well, no, but how you ask and just the circumstance—"

"I was just kidding." He glanced at Ino from the corner of his eye and smiled at her, one of those crooked smiles. Ino shook her head at the young man's ridiculousness.

As they left the apartment complex, Shikamaru took an immediate left rather than a right where the restaurants, the stores, and basically everything that Konoha had to offer were. Ino trailed behind him, glaring at the back of his head and wishing that her child didn't suck up her chakra, enabling her from using her Mind Transfer on Shikamaru. She just wanted to know what he had up his sleeve. "Okay, I'm surprised," she admitted. "What's going on?"

"You're surprised?" he chuckled. "Come on, Ino, we haven't even gotten there yet."

"Shikamaru," Ino said firmly, "everything delicious and great is in the other direction. We're going into the neighborhood, to the woods. You're leading me into the forest so you can kill me, huh?" Ino wrinkled her nose at the question, even regretting saying such things. Ino could feel herself drifting away from Shikamaru, creating minimum distance between him and her.

"You're gonna have to trust me, Ino."

The walked out past the neighborhood, to the outskirts of the village where little was except for a few markets here and there and where only a handful of people lived. Just so happens, they were in Shikamaru's neighborhood.

"Dinner with the family? I didn't think about that one."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Wrong again."

"We're obviously going to your house and your parents live there, so how can I be wrong?"

"When did you get the 'I'm-always-right' attitude?"

"Since I really want to know what you have planned."

"I forgot you were really nosy."

Shikamaru lead Ino up the cobblestone pathway that led up to his home. Ino spent most of her life at the Nara household, for team bonding, for original Ino-Shika-Cho bonding time and they're parents decided to drag their kids along, and Shikamaru's mom was a damn good cook.

"Close your eyes," Shikamaru instructed once they took their shoes off and were inside.

"What?"

"Trust me, all right?"

"Are you sure you're not going to kill me?"

"I have no reason to, Ino." He smiled before placing his hands over Ino's eyes. Ino placed a hand on each of his and held onto them as he guided her through the house. Ino tried to imagine the layout of the house, remember where all the rooms were in order to solve where exactly they were going.

She listened to their footsteps and Shikamaru's even breathing against the top of her head. "Keep your eyes closed," he said before releasing a hand to slide open a door. "Watch out for this step," he whispered in her ear. Ino stuck her foot out to feel for the ground. She jolted forward as her foot slipped past the step.

"Shit," she mumbled, balancing herself before any serious damaged happened.

"Baby can hear you, Ino," Shikamaru reminded before taking a deep breath. "Okay, ready?"

When Ino first opened her eyes, she saw the miniature waterfall sparking due to the setting sun, a tranquil, roaring beat repeating over and over as the water crashed over the rocks, into a river where the water suddenly slowed into a smooth flow as it journeyed along the bank. Fireflies pranced along the water, following the water's path as it flowed into the dark forest. Bubble gum pinks and vibrant oranges reflected in the water.

Next to the water was a picnic table, recently painted and smoothed by the looks of the glossy wood. Ino looked at Shikamaru who suddenly had a picnic basket slung over his shoulder. He beckoned to the table. "Go on," he urged gently. Ino slid on the bench as Shikamaru readied the table, pulling out marvelous food that Ino only saw at festivals from the basket.

"Mom unconsciously gave me the idea this morning and it's convenient that Mom and Dad went out tonight."

As she watched Shikamaru unpack the food, her lip quivered. Ino bit her lip to suppress the laughter that wanted to explode from her throat. Instead, a snort erupted. Ino giggled through clenched teeth as she continued to keep her amusement down to a minimum.

"What?" Shikamaru asked.

"This is so unexpected, especially from you, Shikamaru. It's nice, I—is that watermelon?"

"Yeah, I think so. Kurenai packed it, so I don't really know what's in it to be honest," he said sheepishly. He handed the container that contained sliced watermelons.

"I've been craving watermelon all day," and then, Ino ripped off the top and grabbed the biggest piece she could find before chomping on it. "So good," she hummed.

Several minutes of silence passed as they ate, chowing down on the sweets before even considering the main dish. Shikamaru let Ino finish off the watermelon, afraid that he would miss a few fingers if he made a move for the fruit. Ino picked at everything, the fish, the sweets, and the fruits all had a little bit missing to each as Ino made a routine to take a bite of everything…after finishing the watermelon, of course.

Ino set down her chopsticks, grabbing Shikamaru's amused attention. "Listen about earlier today…," she began.

"What I said was out of line," Shikamaru said, placing his plate down. "I shouldn't have—"

"It's true, though. I do, you know, love him and I want to see him grow up, but I'm not on paid vacation or whatever you want to call it, Shikamaru. Since I'm out of a job right now and I can't make up my mind about continuing life as a kunoichi, Sakura is paying all my bills. She doesn't say anything about it, but it bothers me. How am I supposed to support a child when I can't even support myself? I wasn't emotionally ready for this, this pregnancy, this stupid hormonal rage.

"With a baby, I won't be able to continue life as a shinobi. I have to buckle down and become a civilian, which is the last thing I want to do when I'm twenty. I mean I guess I could work at the flower shop but it pays very little. I don't think I could find a job that pays as well as being a shinobi, and it's what I love to do. It's selfish, I know.

"You could always become a shinobi, Ino. There are plenty of shinobi that have children. You also have me."

Ino nodded. "I do have you don't I? But, Shikamaru, do you really want to be tide down to this baby and me?"

Shikamaru remained quiet. Ino smiled.

"I've thought about becoming a shinobi, too. However, later on in life, what if I don't come back after a mission? What if you don't come back? I know there are people that would take him in but still, think about those who lost their parents.

Shikamaru, I am selfish." Ino chuckled lightly at herself. "I can't have my cake and eat it, too, right? In the end, it's about if I really am capable of caring of this child and in the end, I decided that I'm not. There's no way in hell that I'm mature enough. This baby is probably more emotionally stable than me. In the end, a child can't raise a child."

It was silent between the two teammates. Shikamaru stared at his food as Ino twiddled her thumbs, wondering what Shikamaru thought about everything now.

"Last thing," Ino continued in a hushed voice. "The father"—she noticed Shikamaru's attention spark, making her more nervous—"wasn't the best man. Actually, he's pretty dangerous. I want to protect my baby and if adoption is the only way, then so be it. If he ever comes to Konoha, looking for me, I know my child is safe from him."

"Why would he be looking for you?"

"Because I lived."

* * *

**Woo, that's definitely one of the longest updates.**  
**Reviews, review, review-  
or favorite, alert.  
Thank you for reading.  
Have a great day!**


	34. Crawl: Exam

**I couldn't hand out enough cookies to say sorry for the wait. I just need to graduate and be done with school! Please enjoy. :)  
Thanks to Joy-girl for quickly making me realize that I made a silly mistake of uploading the wrong document!**

* * *

**34: Exam**

* * *

"Are you sure you can make it all the way to the Academy? You look like you're about to burst," Sakura rambled as she followed Ino around their apartment. Ino placed an apple in her brown lunch sack and turned around to meet Sakura's concerned jades. "Dr. Akanishi said that you shouldn't be walking long distances. Maybe you should reconsider going. I'll tell Shikamaru that you can't—"

"Sakura," Ino interrupted, placing a finger on her best friend's lips. "Stop."

"I'm just saying."

"The Academy is just down the road. I'll be fine."

"What if your water breaks?" Sakura asked with Ino's finger still pressed against her lips. The rosette batted Ino's finger away and stuck her tongue out at Ino. "Shikamaru is going to run like hell if something like that happens."

"Shikamaru will not," Ino laughed.

"What if he does?"

"I'm shit out of luck then."

Sakura frowned. "Don't even say that, Ino."

"Joking," Ino said sheepishly. "I doubt I'll go into labor walking to the Academy, so you can calm down."

Sakura sat on the counter as she watched Ino prepared her lunch. "Have you thought about names yet?"

"No, not really," Ino trailed as the thought hit her. She never thought of names, and she probably wouldn't think of a name until Tsunade asked her what the baby's name was. During the exams, she'll think of baby names. That shouldn't be so hard.

"Oh, Shikamaru is here," Sakura said two seconds before a knock sounded. "Wait here," she demanded, "your water might break if you make any abrupt movements."

"Sakura, how is answering the door an 'abrupt movement'?"

Ino listened to the light steps drumming against the hardwood floor among the soft whispers between Sakura and Shikamaru. Suddenly, as Ino turned to greet Shikamaru, a hand flashed and snatched her water canteen out of her hands. "Good morning," Ino greeted in a hush manner and a smile, "you look sleepy."

"Tsunade had me running last minute errands last night," Shikamaru explained. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Ino grabbed her lunch and canteen only to have Sakura swiped them from under Ino's fingers and shove her lunch into Shikamaru's hands. "You can't do any heavy lifting!"

Shikamaru looked at Ino, puzzled. "She's obsessed about my water breaking today," Ino clarified to which Shikamaru simply nodded. "I'm a month away from nine months, so she shouldn't be freaking out."

"You have heard of premature births, haven't you?" Sakura challenged.

"Of course I have!"

"You could be part of the Premature Birth Club today if you don't watch yourself," Sakura said. Shikamaru chuckled and shook his head, mumbling something along the lines of, "I can't believe her." Sakura flicked the Nara in the ear. "I'm being serious, Ino."

"I'm being serious, too. I'll be careful, I promise." To Shikamaru, she smiled and asked, "Are you ready to go?" which he nodded.

The sun possessed an unruly brilliance that early morning as Ino and Shikamaru walked—well, Ino waddling than walking—to the Academy with their hands intertwined. Ino squeezed her partner's hand and smiled when Shikamaru gave her a questioning look, but he returned the look with a small twitch of his lips resembling a small beam.

The heat so early that morning hinted the beginning of a heat wave, and Ino wasn't ecstatic about it now than she was back in her non-pregnant days, where she was always for the heat because it meant more time in a bikini and less time on mission in hot, sticky clothes. Now, her body temperature was on the verge of burning her insides, or so it seemed, and if her body inched up one degree more, she worried that her child would melt. If the sun decided to heat up the village, she might melt inside and out and Ino could handle so much heat.

"Can you sit around for a few hours?"

"I won't be comfortable," Ino mumbled, tightening her grip around Shikamaru's hand when he loosened his grasp. "This damn uniform is kind of unbearable, though." She beckoned to the tacky, beige uniform that she thought she would never have to wear. The buttons popped off the second Ino buttoned them and to make things worse, the fabric felt like she was walking in a suit of cardboard. No wonder the proctors always looked so grumpy…

"Well, you need to suck it up for the time being," Shikamaru chuckling, smirking at her when she rolled her eyes and pinched the skin between his index finger and thumb. He suddenly released her hand and straightened his posture as they approached the Academy.

"Good morning, Shikamaru," Kotetsu greeted warmly, waving at the couple as they walked towards the entrance. "Ino, is that you?" the older man's eyes zeroed on her stomach sticking out of her uniform. "You're huge. How far along are you?"

"I'm not pregnant."

"Oh, I-I thought…Ino, I-I'm—"

"I'm 31 weeks." Ino smiled as she watched the relief wash over her co-worker's face.

"Don't do that to me!" Kotetsu cried, grinning at the blonde in embarrassment. "You have no idea how many times I've done that. It gets old after a while."

"Maybe you shouldn't comment on how big a woman is in the first place," Ino countered.

Shikamaru placed his hands on Ino's shoulders and pushed her forward. "Anyway, we're late to the meeting, so we must be moving on. Aren't you in on this, too, Kotetsu? What are you doing out here?"

"Ibiki made me wait out here for you two."

"Why?" Shikamaru and Ino asked.

"Who knows? Knowing Ibiki, it has to be a good reason."

"Or no reason at all," Ino mumbled. "You were probably irritating him, so he sent you on a pointless errand. That's what he did to me when I worked with him."

The bandaged face man growled, glaring at no one in particular. "Damn him."

Shikamaru turned Ino into a room and slid the door closed after Kotetsu squeezed passed him. Kotetsu stumbled into a chair and grinned at the several snickers he received. Shikamaru placed a light hand on the small of her back and nudged her towards a seat, whispering something incoherent. She could feel the numerous sets of eyes on her baby bump as she toddled down the aisle to take a seat at the back of the classroom. Ino wiggled her nose in disgust as she noticed Kiba's jaw drop, and he immediately turned to the man next to him. "When did she get knocked up?" he blurted loudly despite leaning in close and covering his words with a hand. He was always an obnoxious one—sometimes he rivaled Naruto's obnoxiousness.

"Settle down, everyone," Shikamaru grunted from the front of the class. He leaned back on the desk and scanned the room with a satisfied smirk. Ino planted herself in a seat away from wandering eyes and listened. Shikamaru looked at her for a long second before continuing his scan. "It seems that everyone is here and accounted for, so I'll begin this brief meeting. For everyone who was a proctor in previous years, you already know the gist of the meeting. For those who are new, this exam will be operated smoothly. We're aiming for no conflicts this year. If you catch anything suspicious, please report it to me or Ibiki quickly.

"The first phase of the exam, your duty is to catch participants who are obviously cheating. I hope that isn't too hard for you, and if so, let me know and I'll notify Lady Tsunade that you are incompetent." There were several chuckles within the crowd and some joked around, nudging friends in the side and whispering accusations. "Anyway," Shikamaru sighed, probably regretting his joke now that there was a disruption, "for each one of you, there is a designated area you must observe. The sheet is up here, and you may look over it if you haven't done so. By the way, if you catch someone who isn't in your area, write the kid's number down and keep an eye on him—the less numbers, the easier my job is.

"For the second phase, I have specific shinobi I have selected to be part of it and you know who you are. I'll debrief you on your duties when we get to that point. This also applies to the third stage proctors." Shikamaru sighed and glanced at Ino, smiling at her. He continued, still looking at her, "As a goal, let's make it through the first day, and we'll worry about the rest." He averted his attention to the rest of the room. "We'll worry about the rest when the second stage finally commences. Be in Room 303 in five minutes. You're all excused."

Ino waited for everyone to rise from their seats and leave the room or check their designated observation areas.

"It's going to be a long day," Shikamaru said as Ino walked up to him. She leaned against the desk beside him. "I hope we make it to the library on time today," he whispered to her as a pack of Chunin made their way up to the desk to check their sections.

"I think we will. You could always leave early since you're not actually conducting anything—leave everything to Ibiki and Anko. They've been doing this for years."

Shikamaru chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, like they'd let me off the hook just like that."

Ino shrugged. "You never know."

"They'd have me wash their damn laundry for weeks." He grabbed Ino's hand and laced their fingers. "Let's head up to the room before it gets crowded."

"Shikamaru." Shikamaru's eyes snapped towards the door where a certain sandy blonde kunoichi stood. She smiled and wiggled her fingers at them as they walked towards her. Ino glared at the Suna shinobi and wished that she wasn't about to explode any second so she could take a swing at that pretty face. "You didn't wait for me," she growled.

The Nara boy shrugged. "Well, one, you were late, and two, you told me you wouldn't arrive until the third phase." With that, he brushed past Temari with Ino in tow. Ino was tempted to look back and stick her tongue at Temari, but considering she couldn't fight made Ino reconsider.

The crowded surrounding the door to Room 303 was an endless ocean of browns, blondes, and some unnatural hair color those youngsters were into during the prime of their teenage years. Ino quickly spotted the rookies of the bunch; they were the smaller participants whose legs were as thin as their wrists, boys' shoulders not yet broad and the girls not as curvy compared to the rest of the kunoichi. Above all, the rookies cowered in a corner and eyed everyone that passed them with a suspicious stare.

Ino nudged Shikamaru and beckoned towards the nine rookies. "Reminds me of when we took the exams the first time," she laughed lightly.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, almost embarrassed. "To be honest, I'd rather not think about those times."

"If we're being honest," Ino began, peeking over at the Genin for a second, "same here." Ino imagined Shikamaru wanted to forget those times because that's when Konoha went to shit with Sasuke running away and Orochimaru wanting to destroy the village. Ino wanted to forget because one, she felt like she was an awkward girl, no matter how "hot" the boys thought of her and two, every time she thought about wooing Hyuuga Neji brought scarlet to her cheeks.

"Move out of the way, kids! Make some fucking room!" Three boys stormed down the hallway, pushing others into the walls and knocking down the unfortunate others who didn't see nor hear them coming down the hall.

"Of course," Shikamaru hissed under his breath, "there has to be a loud mouth imbecile every year, huh?"

"Maybe he'll be in the next Hokage. Loud mouths seem to be in the now these days."

Ino watched the three boys stroll passed them as they shouted at others to get out of their way, "bad asses coming through." The main reason the others didn't fight back was the fact that in the middle of the two floppy haired, averaged size boys, Frankenstein loomed over the two bodies. He was bigger than…well, anyone she knew. The boy stood about two heads taller than Shikamaru. The strange boy had a bored expression as if the two rambunctious boys weren't interesting or the slightest bit annoying.

The other two boys seemed to pass off as twins. However, one sported blonde hair and the other with brown. Both had their hair covering their eyes and one could only see their big mouths spewing words like a fountain.

The brunette pushed his hair to the side of his face and glanced at Ino before winking at her as his counter dragged him away. Ino watched in disgust as he pushed one of the rookies to the floor and continued to walk towards the room.

"Izumo, you were supposed to open the room fifteen minute ago!" Shikamaru said sharply, glaring at the man who hustled down the hallway. "Where the hell were you?"

"Sorry, Shikamaru but there was an emergency."

"Just open the damn door."

Izumo elbowed his way into the crowd and the Genin grew silent as the Jonin thumbed through his keys. Ino swore she heard the baby's heart thumping; it was so quiet as Izumo found the right key and unlocked the door. The ocean of Genin flooded into the room, trampling over each other and poor Izumo who, bless him, tried to be assertive and intimidating, but it's quite hard trying to assert your position when on the ground.

Shikamaru tugged Ino out of the way as a rampage of beige colored blurs flashed before their eyes and stormed into the room with cries of, "Oh shit, Shikamaru is going to be pissed" and "He's going to have our asses for being late."

Once Shikamaru released her arm, Ino tiptoed into the room as Ibiki called the room to order, "All right, you numb skulls, sit your asses down." The students, even the toughest, biggest Genin, froze at the man's voice. Even Ino winced, not because his raspy voice frightened her but because it was so damn loud. She thought she'd be used to it considering he liked screaming at her for no particular reason when she was under his wing for a couple years.

Ino looked at Shikamaru who stood at the front of the room with his clipboard, listening to Ibiki or acting as if he was listening, nodding his head as Ibiki made a good point. Shikamaru probably had fifty other thoughts running through his mind. For a second, he paused his writing and glanced up at her, smiling. Ino never expected Shikamaru to act, well, the way he was acting.

A mass of pencils tapping against the desk tops flooded into Ino's ears, jerking her out of her thoughts. She looked down at her clipboard and blank piece of paper for a second and then looked up at her five students she was observing. From the corner of her eye, she had a glimpse of Shikamaru who sat down in his seat and was already marking down numbers or maybe he was doing something else—Ibiki confessed that he would do that just to intimidate the students when really he was drawing a freaking butterfly.

Ino, for a brief second, paid attention to her designated corner and wrote down 33's number as she witnessed the kid turn her head slightly to the right, copying down information as quickly as possible. Sheesh, what an idiot.

Ino took one last glance at Shikamaru who met her eyes the same second she turned her head to look at him. She quickly averted her eyes to the ceiling, a blush slowly rolling onto her cheeks.

In her eyes, Shikamaru changed since that night. The pineapple-shaped head boy turned into a person Ino knew she could hand her life to and know that everything would be fine. Sure she should have known that since Ino trusted her body to him when she used her mind transfer, but now, she had immense trust in him.

Ino remembered that night clearly; she even dreamt about it, replaying the memory over and over again. She couldn't stop thinking about it. It just wasn't expected. She didn't plan on telling Shikamaru nor was he prepared for the news. Most of all, she wasn't prepared for his reaction.

Shikamaru stared at her in puzzlement, unsure of what to make of her response to his question. Ino wondered if it was an appropriate time to reveal her deepest, darkest secret. Did she trust Shikamaru whole-heartedly and undeniably?

"What do you mean 'it's because you lived'?" He choked on his words as if he already knew the answer or maybe he was just utterly confused and lost for words. She couldn't blame Shikamaru since she was lost for words herself. Ino fidgeted under Shikamaru's intense stare, but she finally cracked under the pressure and stood up, walking over to Shikamaru and meeting his curious, coal eyes. She noticed Shikamaru raise his hand, but he immediately pinned it to his side. "Ino?"

"I shouldn't be alive right now."

"But why?"

"Shikamaru, do you know why I left?"

"You were looking for a murderer. What does that have to do with anything?"

Ino hesitated, placing a hand on her stomach. Did she really want to do this? Shikamaru stared at her stomach. "I found him, and this is the price I had to pay. You remember Hidan, don't you?"

His reaction was slow motion. Ino watched his emotions waved across his face. First, his eyebrows pinched together in confusion as if the name wasn't familiar, as if the name didn't belong to the man that tried to kill her that one night which felt like years ago. Second, Ino watched his eyes widen as the pieces clicked together, a name to a face. "That bastard from the Pub? What about him?"

Tears swelled in her eyes in pure frustration. She felt the pain coming back; the scars that were now faint burned and felt as if a kunai traced along the lines, tearing apart her skin and setting it ablaze. "What is it you don't understand, Shikamaru?" Ino balled. "He…He…"

Shikamaru stepped away from Ino. "Are you telling me I let that bastard go when everything could have been settled?" he growled. His lips quivering and fists shaking as anger enveloped him. He suddenly turned and kicked the table over, spilling the contents into the water. "Why didn't you tell me, Ino? He could be dead by now!"

"Nothing would have been solved. Lives would be lost if you killed him."

"I'd rather have strangers die than you die."

"You don't mean that."

"I don't?"

They fell silent, glowering at each other. Ino could hear his erratic breathing and his teeth softly clattering. Finally, he released a shaky breath. "If he ever shows his face around here, I swear I'll kill him."

Ino felt a smile on her lips as she stared at their feet. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest. "Thank you."

* * *

Everything made sense now. Of all the months he lived in total perplexity, the answer was in front of his face and he even met the cause of everything. He stupidly blinded himself with the fact that Ino was pregnant and that she needed support. For a week, Shikamaru tortured himself, knowing perfectly well that if he looked at the bigger picture, life could be better for Ino.

For a week, Shikamaru spend unsettling nights conjuring methods of killing the man, more ways being physically impossible than possible. Shikamaru wished he could teleport to Hidan's location and slice his head off, tie him down and slip a kunai through his throat as slow as possible and make him feel the pain Ino felt. He wanted to sink a kunai through his chest and listen to Hidan scream.

_Craaacckk. _The bottom half of his pencil rolled off his desk and fell to the floor as he gripped the other half in a white knuckled grip. Shikamaru loosened his grip, taking a deep inhale and a slow exhale, releasing his grasp on the pencil with each breath.

"Eh, Shikamaru," Ibiki whispered, leaning closer to him, "are you doing okay?"

"Fine."

"Need some time? We have five minutes."

"Do you mind?"

Shikamaru rose from his seat as Ibiki strolled back to the front desk, leaning against it and smirking devilishly at the young shinobi that looked up to see the commotion. Shikamaru hustled out the doors, ignoring the look Ino gave him as he rushed passed her.

He flew through the hallways in a blind fury, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his spare cigarette. Reaching into his other pocket, he pulled his lighter and lit the cigarette before he reached the Academy exit. Shikamaru released a shaking exhale, blowing out the two drags of smoke he held in.

"I thought you quit." Anko smiled at him as Shikamaru took another long drag. Shikamaru nodded and turned his back on her. "Angry much?" she snorted.

"You don't even know," Shikamaru sighed.

"Do I want to know?"

"It's complicated."

Anko slinked around Shikamaru and hung an arm around his shoulders. "I think I can keep up. I mean, the whole village kept up with the love triangle between you and two certain blondes whose names will not be mentioned—cough, cough, Temari and Ino."

"What the hell do you know about that?" Shikamaru challenged, flicking his cigarette bud to the ground and smashing it with the heel of his shoe.

"Oh, I know a lot. You eloped with Ino and got her pregnant when you should have been faithful to Temari. That's the gist of it, isn't it?"

"Not even close. Don't you have Genin to annoy?"

Anko groaned and looked at her wrist watch. "Well, look at that, it's about that time. I'll see you around, Shikamaru! Maybe we can have a chat over some barbeque and coffee?"

"That's a horrible combination."

"Everything is a great combination when you're piss ass drunk! Oh, look it's your hubby!" Anko sang, dancing around Ino as she toddled down the stairs. Ino waved at Anko who disappeared around the corner with her old banner that she always flew into the classroom with.

"Are you doing okay?" Shikamaru smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, bringing her in for a hug only to be pushed away. "You were smoking."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Don't say sorry to me; say sorry to him." The blonde pointed to her round belly.

"Sorry, Baby," he mumbled, rubbing his teammate's stomach.

"Ibiki said I could go home, so I'll see you at the library at five, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. I might be late, though."

"Don't worry; I talked to Ibiki about letting you go early but it was on one condition."

Shikamaru raised a brow. "What is that?"

"Tomorrow, you have to clip his toenails," and that was the fastest Shikamaru ever saw Ino walk away.

* * *

Ino picked at her cuticles as she lounged in the incredibly comfy chair, waiting for the first couple to arrive…and a certain pineapple head that was supposed to be at this very table fifteen minutes ago granted that Ino didn't tell Shikamaru he needed to be at the library at a specific time. The blonde sighed and rubbed her tense stomach, massaging her uncomfortable baby from the outside.

"Hi, sorry I'm late," Shikamaru apologized as he smoothly slid into the seat. "Ino, as much as I want to be here, I do not want to clip Ibiki's disgusting toe nails. I had to stay."

Ino shrugged. "It's okay, I supposed. No one is here yet."

"You've been waiting alone?" he asked, almost sounding surprised. "No one has come to see you?"

"No, why?"

"Well, there are people bickering about who should come over first behind that book shelf." Shikamaru gestured towards a book shelf and if Ino strained her ears enough, she could hear hushed voices snapping at each other. "Should I go talk to them?" Before Ino could answer, Shikamaru left her side and disappeared behind the book shelf where the whispers ceased immediately.

Ino listened to Shikamaru ask if they were here to see Ino, and a voice that sounded as if it belonged to a four-year-old girl responded, "Yeah, we are here to see Ino! Who are you?"

"I'm the…f-father. Should I introduce you to Ino?"

"Oh, yes!" Ino ignored the rest of the girl-woman's voice for it irritated Ino's ears and the baby didn't seem to like the high pitched tone either.

"Ino," Shikamaru called, appearing from behind the book shelf with an average height woman and a man about the same size in tow. "This is Saito Haru and Mizuki."

Ino scrolled through her mind, trying to put a name and face to the scrapbook. All that came up her blue and purple swirls of flowers or polka-dots. Did they own a white pug?

"It's nice to meet you." Ino rose from her seat and shook their hands, noticing that both of their grips were limp and cold. "I am Yamanaka Ino and this is Nara Shikamaru," she said before seating herself once again. Junior detested the sudden movement and placed a foot in her rib.

"You two aren't married?" Mizuki questioned, moving her eyes from Ino to Shikamaru and back to Ino. "Aren't people supposed to be married before having kids?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat and simply placed a hand on Ino's when she mumbled a threat to lunge over the table and choke out the poor girl. "We're in a complicated situation, which is why we're giving this child up for adoption. Now, tell us a bit about yourselves."

Mizuki bounced in her seat, brunette curls full of life. "My name is Mizuki and I'm twenty-six-years-old. I work as an inn receptionist down the street from here."

"I am Haru." Ino's cheeks filled with her laughter, but she swallowed down the giggles as the husband continued to speak. "I am a Jonin." It sounded like he sucked in a bunch of sulfuric hexafloride and he looked as if he was on the verge of passing out.

"How long have to two been together?" Ino asked, still choking down her giggles.

"About ten years if you include the years of dating; we've been married for five years about," Mizuki answered, smiling at Haru, who flashed a smirk at her. Goodness, it was like he worshiped Sasuke and failed at impersonating him.

Ino mentally scratched them off the list. She wasn't going to have a child that had a helium sucking idiot as a mother and a Sasuke worshipping father—because Ino of all people knew how Sasuke obsession ended, hint hint Sakura. Ino could not imagine how her child would turn out.

* * *

"What time is the second couple coming in?" Ino asked. "Did Ruka tell you?"

"About 6:30 because someone has a business meeting that started at 5:30," Shikamaru said, reading the scribbles he wrote on his arm that morning when the rude adoption agent called him to give him the details. "The fourth couple canceled because there's been a sudden death in the family and they have to go out of town."

Ino slouched in her seat—or rather, slouched as far as her child would let her which wasn't very far and it hurt her back, so Ino straightened up and leaned against the table. "How was the rest of the exam?"

"Good," Shikamaru said, glancing out the window to see the setting sun descend below the buildings and mountains. "We have a feisty bunch this year. Some kid started a fight with Anko."

Ino shook her head. She could only imagine how that turned out for the poor Genin who thought they were superior to the likes of Anko, who wasn't the woman to mess around with. "How did that turn out?"

"Well, him and his team or disqualified and the kid has a nice bruise around his eye and probably his ass. I never knew an eraser could be so dangerous." Ino didn't want to know what happened…. "There are some teams that need to be watched," Shikamaru mumbled, leaning his chair back on its two hind legs. "We have some pretty strong ones this year," he commented, suddenly changing the subject. "As soon as the gates opened, bombs started to explode and Genin were already making their way to the Tower. It makes me wonder how they were able to one, figure out which team had which scrolls and two, plant the bombs."

"Have you brought it up with the Hokage?"

"No, unless you want me to leave now so I can?"

"You can leave to see if the second couple is here, and then you can come right back."

After a quick second of waiting, Shikamaru returned and startled Ino as he ran his fingers through Ino's golden locks.

"Ino," Shikamaru gasped as he trotted towards the rounded table, grabbing a seat beside her. "Meet Watanabe Noriko and Watanabe Daichi," he introduced, beckoning to a couple that appeared to be in their mid-thirties who stood politely to the side, waiting to be gestured to sit down.

"Oh," Ino exclaimed, "hello!"

Noriko, who was a petite woman with wide hips and a small torso, waved a hand to stop Ino from standing up and introducing herself properly. "Please, don't go through the trouble," the wife said softly. She hooked her index finger with her husband's and led him to the table. Daichi, a man with a buzz cut and laugh lines, pulled out Noriko's seat before seating himself. Ino couldn't help but smile at the act and wished Shikamaru could do something like that for her.

"Don't get any ideas," Shikamaru muttered as if he read Ino's mind.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you," Noriko started, smiling brightly at Ino. It was like looking into the future. Noriko shared the same eye and hair color, and the only differences between them were sagging skin and Ino's skin definitely glowed brighter than hers. "We've always wanted to adopt and we're elated that you've given us this opportunity."

Ino only smiled, clueless as to what to say. Was it appropriate to say "It's our pleasure" or was this situation a moment where a smile would suffice?

"We couldn't be happier about choosing you," Shikamaru told them lightly, a smile playing on his lips. "So, do you have any children?"

"Sadly, no," Daichi answered. His voice sounded melodic like a lullaby hanging over one's head as they fell into a slumber. His eyebrows furrowed in a remorseful manner as he looked at his wife apologetically. "We're unable to have kids," he said.

"I'm so sorry," Ino squeaked.

"That's unfortunate," Shikamaru agreed.

Ino remembered this couple. They had a sherbet orange scrapbook with horizontal zig-zags outlined in yellow. Noriko was the head nurse in the children's ward at the hospital on the west side of Konoha, and Daichi was the owner of a popular restaurant. Both were excellent jobs and they could easily support the baby.

Their home was a single story house, so when her baby grew, she didn't have to worry about him cracking his head open if he decided to wander up a flight of stairs. It was a cute robin egg blue and a maple tree in the front yard with a tire swing roped to the lowest branch.

"How long have you been married?" Shikamaru interrogated, straight faced like this was a really interrogation instead of getting to know the possible adoptive parents.

"Well," Noriko answered sheepishly, "I've lost track after our fifth anniversary, honey."

Daichi grinned and squeezed his wife's shoulder lovingly. "Don't worry about it." To Ino and Shikamaru, he said, "About ten years."

"You two seem to be very busy people. How are you going to make time for the baby?" Shikamaru asked. Ino sat back and relaxed, letting the boy genius do the interrogations.

Daichi answered again, "I go to work about three times a week, so I'll be caring for the baby majority of the time, but Noriko works from six in the morning to three, so she'll also be there. We both have weekends off as well."

"When you do work, who will watch the baby?"

"I will," Noriko said, smiling politely at Shikamaru. "Daichi works night shifts. Our schedules work out very well."

Noriko and Daichi were the ideal couple, Ino thought as she listened to their stories and their desire to be parents. Both were kind hearted and down-to-Earth, aware that raising a child is a duty rather than a responsibility and both were ready to take on their duties as parents. It was charming.

* * *

The third and last adoptee candidate was Tanaka Kanna, a single mother who lost her husband to a mission a couple years ago. Ino remembered hearing about the mission, an A-ranked mission to Grass to retrieve something stolen from Konohagakure and only one person made it out alive. The item was not retrieved due to the sole survivor attempting to save his friends. Later on, the survivor died in the hospital because of severe burns and blood loss.

"So, you're Ino," Kanna purred as she sat down across from her, winking at Shikamaru who pulled out her chair. Ino wanted to reach over and whack Shikamaru for being nice. "Your father has told me a lot about you," the older woman continued with a polite smile on her face. "You've accomplished a lot at such a young age." Ino felt her eyebrow twitch. Was there some sort of sarcastic demeanor to that question?

"What has my father said about me?" Ino gritted her teeth. Kanna worked with her father—that's why she looked so damn familiar. She was a Black Ops retiree and now worked as a receptionist at the building her father works at.

"Inoichi mainly brags how skilled you are in perfecting jutsu that he couldn't perfect at your age. Girls are always better." Ino heard Shikamaru hum in agreement and when she looked at him; his eyes were glued onto the brunette's appealing appearance. Ino pinched the back of his hand, making him yelp.

Why did Kanna look at Ino with such defiance but with politeness and sympathy? It bugged Ino to no end but Shikamaru seemed to be enchanted by her looks.

"Why is it you want to adopt?"

"I have an eight-year-old girl and since I joined ANBU, I can't have children anymore. I've wanted another child but well, one reason is that my husband is gone and the other is that it's unlawful to reconstruct everything just to have a fifty percent chance of a healthy pregnancy."

Ino empathized for the woman, understanding that at such a young age she couldn't bear children due to a dream that was short lived. Kanna would support her child very well with all that ANBU retirement money saved in the bank but she was a single mother.

"Being a single mother, how are you going to raise the child?"

"I have a very lenient boss and he knows that I'm looking to adopt a newborn. He understands that the first several months are crucial when raising a child and he will give me time off. My boss and I were actually discussing a way for me to work at home, but that idea is still up in the air. My sister is also living with me, and she's been helping me with my daughter since my husband passed."

"What does she do for a living?"

"She's a Jounin representative for foreign relationships or something like that."

Shikamaru cleared his throat and nudged Ino under the table. Both of them knew just how much money anyone who dealt with foreign countries made. Ino was surprised Kanna didn't live in a mansion with her income and her sister's combine.

"I see," Ino gasped.

* * *

"It's been a long day," Ino yawned as she and Shikamaru left the library, parting with Kanna who walked in the other direction. "What do you have going on tomorrow?"

"Nothing, I think. Why?"

Ino shrugged. "Just making small talk, I guess." After a prolonged silence, Ino finally said, "I really liked Noriko and Diachi."

"I like Kanna."

"You liked her because she was hot." As much as Ino preferred men, she had to admit that Kanna was one gorgeous woman with nice curves in perfect places and gorgeous curly hair that framed her heart shaped face nicely. Any man would fall in love with those looks.

"You noticed?"

"Men," Ino scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Obviously the first couple is out of the question. I don't even know how we picked them but I am glad we picked Noriko and Diachi. Kanna is questionable."

"How was she questionable?" Shikamaru challenged.

"She was obviously flirting with you. I don't care how much money she makes or what her sister does, she's sketchy. We're just gonna have to discuss this tomorrow over lunch." Ino stuck her tongue at Shikamaru playfully.

"You're just jealous that I'm attracted to her." Shikamaru scoffed this time, "Women…"

* * *

**Thank you for reading!  
I sincerely apologize for such a long wait. I didn't even realize it's been so long since I updated, but I guess that's what you get when you're drowning in freaking school, but I'm hoping this next update won't take a month to write. Sorry again!  
Have a splendid day! **


	35. Crawl: Surprise

**I can't apologize enough for leaving everyone hanging for about four months! Preparing for college kinda sucks…. Thank goodness for spring break! I hope you haven't lost faith in me! I'm still here! Please enjoy!**

* * *

**35: Surprise**

* * *

She could hear it. Joy. It was a distant heartbeat fluttering against his chest like a small drum. She could feel his calm breaths brush against her hand. She couldn't think of a time in her life when pure happiness flushed her entire body. She never met someone whose presence made her feel indisputably infatuated and blinded with love.

Her love cuddled under her hand that kept him close to her body. He was so small that she could hold him in one hand and so cute that she wanted to smother his chubby cheeks with kisses. He was her happiness. She caressed a finger down his soft, chubby cheeks, staring at the wonderful creature that shared the same blonde hair and oceanic eyes as her.

"Ino," Shikamaru whispered as he appeared on the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her blanket covered waist. Ino smiled as she received a warm kiss to her temple, and a tremor shook Ino's bed, interrupting Ino's dream.

"What, Sakura?" Ino snapped as Sakura ripped the blankets off Ino. "Give me back my blankets!'

"It took you long enough to wake up! I've only called you like five times." Ino raised her eyebrows at her roommate, waiting to hear the reason to this abrupt awakening. "Shikamaru's here to talk and I have to run to the market. Do you think you can make breakfast with what we have?"

"I'll think of something," Ino yawned, stretching her arms over her head. "Where's Shikamaru?"

"I think he's raiding the fridge."

Ino sat up and rolled her neck to stretch out the kinks. "Tell him I'll be out in a second."

"Don't forget you have an appointment!" As Sakura closed the door behind her, Ino glanced back at the spot where that beautiful creature slept, nestled under her protective arms. She wanted to feel that dreaming warmth and his breathing caressing her skin; she wanted to hear that heartbeat drum in her ears. As she stood up to ready herself for the day, she paused in front of her mirror to stare at her heavy stomach. It was only a matter of a few weeks until that bundle of joy actually nestled in her arms.

No. Ino ripped her eyes away from the mirror before she could continue to allow herself to daydream about something that will never happen. Once the baby is born, she would hand it off to another pair of arms that could give it the love and the time that the baby should have. Love and time Ino knew she could never give.

Shikamaru sat on the counter with an orange sitting in his hands. He stared at the fruit with a deep furrow between his eyebrows. He looked up at Ino as she waddled into the kitchen. "What if he wants to become a shinobi?" he suddenly asked, finally tearing into the skin of the orange and peeling it off.

Ino scowled at the young man and silently walked past him to raid the cupboards for any sort of ingredient to make breakfast. "It's too early for this discussion."

"You wouldn't let me leave until two this morning because of 'this discussion'. I have the right to wake you up at nine to ask you a serious question." Shikamaru plopped an orange slice into his mouth and expertly spit the seeds into the wastebasket across the kitchen. "You're not listening to me."

Ino glanced over her shoulder. "I am."

"I was thinking that since Kanna knows all the paperwork involved with enrolling into the Academy. A couple of civilians won't know—"

"Sakura's parents are civilians; they went through all the scary paperwork and look where Sakura is now," Ino countered, waving a spatula in Shikamaru's face as she made her point. "She's one of the _best _medics and kunoichi in these parts."

"There's a one in a hundred chance that our kid will be one of the best."

"You obviously have no faith," Ino sighed.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I'm just saying Kanna will have a better understanding is he wants to become a shinobi. Not to mention the skills she has as a shinobi. She could train him the best jutsu there are."

Ino spun around and placed a hand on her hip. "What's with her, Shikamaru?"

A grin swept across Shikamaru's face. Ino spun around and continued to rummage through her kitchen, refusing to make eye contact with Shikamaru. She kept her hair curtained over her face as she worked. "Are you jealous?" Shikamaru mocked with a grin still on his lips.

Still avoiding eye contact, Ino responded, "I just don't like the idea of Kanna being a single mother. If she starts dating, what's he going to think when he sees different men come into his life? He won't have a stable male role model in his life. At least Noriko and Daichi are married, and if they end up divorcing, hopefully he'll be old enough to understand." Finally, Ino turned and pointed her cooking utensil at Shikamaru. "You just think Kanna is hot."

"What! That's not true!" Shikamaru waved a hand in the air to stop Ino's accusations—and the spatula flying at his face. "She's an intelligent and respectable woman. Even now that she's a civilian, shinobi still stop and bow down to her…. Some even hit the floor in respect to her." In a lower tone, he said, "and I'm just thinking of his future plans."

"Are you one of those few that—?"

"Hit the floor? No."

"So you bow to her?"

"Occasionally … it depends on who I'm with."

"If you like the woman so much, why don't you marry her?" She flashed a goofy grin at Shikamaru who raised his eyebrows in mock disbelief.

"How old is that joke, Ino? Last time I checked, we used that joke back when we were toddlers."

"Anyway, how are the exams going?"

Shikamaru went silent. His eyes wandered around the apartment complex and he slowly chewed his orange as he appeared to think. "It's all right, I guess. Troublesome as always. The second stage ends in two days, and then it'll be the preliminary rounds." He sighed and hung his head.

"Excited or what?" Ino joked with a soft snort of amusement.

Shikamaru smirked. "Hardly but it lasts for a day so I supposed I can survive."

Ino chuckled, shaking her head. "You guess? I need you, Shikamaru. Don't go dying on me just yet."

* * *

For the first time in several months, Ino wasn't the one waddling. Sakura rubbed her full stomach as she toddled down the sidewalk alongside of Ino who was snickering at her groaning friend. "I'm so full," Sakura grunted. "Breakfast was so good…."

Ino smiled but quickly snatched it off her face as she felt a twinge of uneasiness flush through her body. She cleared her throat and smiled again, ignoring the anxiety building in her stomach. "I'm glad you liked it. There wasn't much…thank you," Ino said as Sakura held open the door to the pediatric ward of the hospital.

The receptionist looked up at the two women with lazy, tired eyes. "Hi, how may I help you?"

"I have an appointment with Dr. Akanishi."

"Yamanaka?"

Ino nodded.

The receptionist stood up and pushed past double doors while grumbling, 'I'll let her know you're here—sit tight."

"So what did Shikamaru have to say?" Sakura asked nonchalantly as she flipped through a maternity magazine. Ino looked out the window instead of peeking over Sakura's shoulder to look at all the cute babies with sparkling eyes and cute smiles. She didn't want to see all the cute baby and pregnancy clothing. Ino didn't want to see anything to do with pregnancy, babies, and cuteness.

"He wanted to talk about Kanna again. He really wants her to have the baby."

"Shikamaru has a good judgment of character. From what I've heard, Kanna is a legit bad ass—has a license and everything. She's also done a lot of good for the village; people just haven't heard about what she's done."

Ino snorted and leaned back in her seat. "Like what?"

"She helps at the Academy on her spare time. According to Iruka, the students have improved a lot since she started volunteering over there. She helps find refugees from war-torn villages find homes and helps them until they're stable. Kakashi told me that she helped him set a dislocated shoulder…."

"I still don't like her."

Sakura rolled her head to gaze into Ino's eyes. "You know what you need to do?"

"What?"

Sakura grinned. "You're lucky your best friend has the keys to the files of everyone in this village. We'll do an unprofessional background check."

"You're freaking insane, Sakura. Do you know what Tsunade would do to you if—"

"Yamanaka Ino," Dr. Akanishi called.

The blonde and the rosette stood up simultaneously, caught in a staring contest. Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "All right," she sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets. "It's your loss…."

"I'll think about it," Ino quickly whispered as they followed Dr. Akanishi.

Ino stared at the tiled ceiling as Akanishi poured the cold gel onto her exposed midsection. Looking into Kanna's files wasn't a bad plan, and then she could look into Noriko and Daichi's files and gather information they did not share the first time they met.

She couldn't disclose these plans to Shikamaru or he'd want to be in on the plans, too and Ino figured that they would just argue for the rest of the night….

"Baby is looking nice and healthy."

Ino, still staring at the ceiling, smiled and thought back to her dream earlier that day. The warmth on her hand and the drumming… "Oh, look….she—it's waving at you."

The tick of the clock echoed as Ino tried to decipher Dr. Akanishi's slip of the tongue. The word, that three letter word, sounded foreign as it rang through Ino's mind. Sakura stared at her with wide, surprised eyes. Ino turned her attention to her doctor. "Her?"

Dr. Akanishi smiled. "Congratulations."

"Dammit," Sakura scoffed under her breath. "My dreams lied to me."

* * *

**It's a shorter but very important chapter! The next will be up within a month! After next week, life will be good and stress-free…if my senior project is good enough…. **

**Have a great day! **


	36. Crawl: Suspicion

Hello! Guess what? I've graduated! I hope you all like this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 36: Suspicion**

* * *

"You said you would think about it!"

"No."

"Ino, you're being a wet blanket."

Ino mocked disbelief and gently scratched her chin in wonder. "Wow, when was the last time I heard that? It's not like _I_ wasn't the one saying that to you."

Sakura smirked. "Funny how the tables turned," she mumbled before jumping on the couch and grabbing Ino's shoulders. "We're talking about your child's life, your daughter's life! How crazy is that?" she questioned rambunctiously.

"If you shake me any harder, you might send me into early labor, Sakura."

Sakura released her hands and then plopped on the couch beside her blonde friend. "I'm just saying that you could dig up some dirt. Someone's files can really give you a ton of info. You might even find something Kanna or the others hid from you…but who am I—"

"Will you shut up!" Ino snapped and proceeded to cross her arms in defiance and huff, "I'm not going."

"Yeesh, since when did you become me?" There was a short pause. "Please, Ino?" Green orbs stared back at Ino's stern face as they sat in silence. Ino raised a bow as a long minutes passed. Sakura blinked. "We sat exactly like this when we had that fight about Naruto," Sakura sighed, "except I was on the other end with my arms crossed and you were me, staring at me until I gave in…and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Sakura, what we're about to do has to be illegal?"

"So you're coming?"

"I never said that."

"'Sakura, what we're_ about to do_…' sounds like you approve that we go snoop."

* * *

The picture sat in Ino's mind clear as day. The newspaper headlines would say: _Pregnant Lady and Konoha's Best Caught Breaking In_. Yup, she could say goodbye to her reputation now…or what little prideful reputation left. The best friends tiptoed up the spiral stairs, both grimacing when one of them caused the aged steps to wail under their weight—Ino's steps causing a louder sound than Sakura, no surprise there.

"Ah, dang it," Sakura grumbled when a sliver of light played along the wall, disappearing and reappearing every time a stumbling, cursing figure passed the light's source. "I thought Tsunade would be gone…." The bubble gum haired shinobi raised her hand, signaling Ino to stop and take a breather, which was great since the baby didn't seem to like all the sneaking around and resorted to kicking Ino in the ribcage. Ino slumped against the wall and poked at her hard belly as she watched Sakura creep towards the cracked door and peek into the office.

"Sakura," Ino huffed, struggling to catch a breath, "this really isn't a good idea."

Sakura raised a finger as she quietly slide the door closed, leaving it slightly open in order to avoid the click the door made when closed. Sakura continued walking, leaving Ino to do one thing and one thing only: follow her best friend.

"Think about it this way," her best friend suddenly said as they stopped before navy double doors. Sakura whipped out a ring of keys and thumbed through them, testing a couple here and there. "Since you're about to explode and everything"—Sakura flashed a playful grin at the now frowning Ino—"you need to pick a family soon and doing this may save Sakura Junior from a horrible family."

"For the last time, Sakura, I'm not naming her Sakura."

"Hush!" Ino pursed her lips. "Just think about it. I'm sure Sakura will rub off on you." Sakura grinned before twisting the key to the left and pushing the grand doors open.

"There's no chance in Hell."

"I told you to be quiet…." Sakura jokingly hissed as she tiptoed into the old Konoha archives. Ino listened for her friend's footsteps and tried to feel around with her hands as she willingly stepped into utter darkness. "Look for Kanna," Sakura instructed, suddenly shining a flashlight in Ino's eyes, "and I'll find Noriko and Daichi." With that, Sakura reached into her pocket and tossed a smaller flashlight at Ino then wandered into the decrepit shelves of the Konoha archives.

"All this dust is not healthy for a pregnant woman…." Ino mumbled, watching Sakura's light disappearing.

All Ino needed to do was look for T, Tanaka Kana. Ino spun around, searching for some kind of sign that would lead her to Tanaka Kanna's file, or at least to the T section—whichever one would suffice.

"Ino…"

"Damn, Sakura, you're fast." Ino expected Sakura to shine the light in her face, or she just expected to see some sort of light as Sakura approached her, but Ino sat there in her small spotlight with her back pressed against the shelf. "Sakura?"

A sudden breeze blew by her right side and a figure stood in front of her, too far for the light to reveal what it was. Was it smart to shine the light in its face? Did Ino even want to know?

"Ino, I found it!" A breathless Sakura rounded the corner with a heavy file in her hand and a flashlight in the other. "You're not going to believe what kind of stuff is in here."

Ino took a quick second to flash the light over to where the figment of her imagination stood. As expected, nothing.

"What'd you find?" Ino asked, trying to shake off the feeling that Sakura and Ino weren't the only ones in the room. "Anything good?"

"All I'm saying is you might want to think twice about Noriko and Daichi." Sakura opened their file and flipped to a certain document. "Apparently Tsunade has them on a tight leash in order for them to stay here. It says here that they were con artists from Amekagure. They've stolen so much money and when they were found, they were forced out of the village. They basically had to beg Tsunade to let them stay here. Anyway, did you find Kanna's file?"

"Uh, no. I got distracted."

"Oh, not a problem." Sakura tucked the file under her armpit and began to walk away from the pregnant Ino. "T is a little bit this way. Wait here."

"No, I think I'll go with you this time."

Sakura turned around a corner and when Ino went to follow, she found Sakura climbing a ladder with her flashlight snug between her lips. "Ino," Sakura called with a muffled voice, "Aaan youuu mmivvee mee maaa muhhh?"

"What?"

Sakura just waved her off and pushed the ladder across the shelves, fingering through files. Ino followed, keeping a close eye on her friend.

"Mmmm!" Sakura pulled out of dusty file and carefully climbed down the ladder. Once Sakura had two feet on the ground, she spit out her flashlight and cracked open Kanna's file. Before Sakura could comment on anything, Ino snagged the file away to look at the horrible Tanaka Kanna.

Copies of achievements, a list of promotion and achievements, pictures of her medals, and a near spotless medical record crowded the majority of the folder. From her stats sheets, her successes were more than 80 percent. From what limited light Ino had, she could read that when she was captain, she had ten fatalities…out of who knows how many A-ranked missions. What made it worse is that she retired as an ANBU and she's going to be a teacher at the Academy. How frustrating…. Ino snapped the file shut and shoved it into Sakura's hands.

"What's wrong?"

"I hate being wrong."

* * *

It's been a long week for Shikamaru. The week would have been longer if the Hokage required him to stay at the tower to await the teams that survived the Forest of Death. He was able to spend time with Ino, but that was cut short when someone summoned him two days ago to run the preliminary rounds before the final stage of the exams. However, the preliminary rounds dragged on that Shikamaru almost thought there wouldn't be a final phase due to the participants taking forever to beat each other to a pulp.

A boy from the Grass caught Shikamaru's and many other eyes throughout the exams. He and his teammates made it to the tower with both scrolls the first several days while it took other teams to reach the tower the full time limit, others just making the cut by seconds. The Genin didn't look like he was anything special, but Shikamaru, the village genius, couldn't pass judgment considering people assumed he was lazy and nothing special rather than the smartest person in the entire village. The plain Jane's were the people you looked out for.

The boy was scrawny and short, normal for a boy who has yet to hit his growth spurt. His hair was very long and covered his eyes, which caused him to whip his head to the side so he could see what his opponent was doing. However, he moved with such precision and grace that Shikamaru had difficulty believing the boy became a Genin this year.

Shikamaru thumbed through the stacks of the sixteen sheets of paper, each containing background and stats on the top sixteen contenders. His name was Hideaki, at a young age of twelve- years-old.

His opponent was about fourteen and twice the size of the small boy. He fought like Naruto, loud and wild. The only difference between this boy and Naruto was that Naruto actually _could_ plan his strategy whether it is two steps ahead or two seconds ahead. This boy….well, Shikamaru guessed the boy was only given the rank so his village could use him as a bulldozer and an intimidation factor.

"Match goes to Hideaki," the proctor suddenly announced. Shikamaru glanced up from his clipboard to see Hideaki sitting on top of the bigger boy with a kunai to his throat. "Hideaki, you win," the proctor said, inching closer to the young boy who didn't budge but pressed the blade harder against his opponent's neck.

"I'm not done yet," he growled, raising the blade above his head and driving it for the older boy's neck.

The blade clattered against the floor and loose bricks in the wall crumbled to the floor as Gai karate kicked Hideaki off the now crying boy.

Hideaki groaned in distaste as he stood up, brushing the daubery from his already ruined clothes. Shikamaru leaned against the railing to watch what the boy would do next and what he did next surprised the Jonin. The young boy pushed his matted hair away from his face and zeroed in on Shikamaru, whose posture straightened due to tension. Hideaki smiled and winked at the genius before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

"I can't believe I broke into the archives."

"Ino."

"I can't believe I was about to give my kid to a couple of con artists….

"Ino."

"What the hell was I thinking?" Ino continued to rant as she swirled the water around in her cup. "They would raise hi—her to become a swindler. I blame Shikamaru! If he hadn't said that he liked Kanna, I wouldn't feel like I had to contradict him!"

"Ino, please—"

"I broke the privacy act but I saved my daughter from a life of crime. Does that cancel things out? Without having one more con artist on the street that just means there's less crime on the streets, right?"

"Ino, will you freaking listen to me!" Sakura hollered, squeezing the blonde's cheeks and staring into her eyes. "Shut. Up. Now." Sakura inhaled a shaky breath and slowly whispered, "Someone is knocking on the door."

"Tsunade knows!"

A muffled voice came from the door, "Tsunade doesn't know anything—can you please let me in?"

Sakura opened the door. Shikamaru leaned against the door frame with his head tilted back so it rested on the frame as well. He had dark purple bags under his eyes and the poor man just looked like he was about to die of exhaustion. His eyes locked onto Ino, who gazes at him with curiosity and concern. Sighing in what sounded like relief, Shikamaru smiled.

"Um," Sakura hummed, "I think I'm going to run home really quick. Shikamaru, make sure Ino doesn't jump out the window."

"Why would you do that?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"She's riddled with guilt…," Sakura sighed and brushed past him before Shikamaru could ask for an explanation.

"Riddled with guilt, huh?" Shikamaru chuckled and gently closed the door behind him before sitting next to Ino on the couch. "Are you uncomfortable?"

"Huh? Uh, no, I have a pillow helping my back a little," Ino answered, refusing to make eye contact with the young man next to her. She could feel his searching eyes boring a hole in her face. "How was your day?" she asked, hoping that carrying a conversation would keep him from dissecting her face any further.

"Bothersome," he mumbled. The fatigue was prominent on his young face. His eyes were dragged down by the large bags under them. Ino patted her lap and beckoned for him to lay his head down. "It won't bug him, right?"

Ino smiled. "There's plenty of room."

Her fingers combed through his hair. She could feel his even, warm breaths against her bare knees as Shikamaru fell into a slumber. Ino tilted her head back against the couch and closed her eyes, combing Shikamaru's hair at a slow, steady rhythm.

"Talk to me," Ino whispered.

"Ino," Shikamaru whispered back as he surprised her by tracing a circle on her knee. "What if our families had dinner together?"

"What makes you think that is a great idea?" Ino laughed. "My dad hates your guts, not to mention mine and your mom is most likely going to kill you when the subject comes up."

"She's already tried," Shikamaru quietly groaned, probably the exhaustion taking over him. "Mom is the one that wants the dinner."

"Oh, right. I forgot she already beat the shit out of you, so I guess she'll behave this time, huh?"

Shikamaru ignored her and just patted her knee. "Shh, Ino, I'm trying to sleep."

Ino giggled. She placed her hand on his arm and gently squeezed. "Go to bed then, but…" Ino trailed as she leaned forward, "I'm having a girl."

Shikamaru didn't response for a long minute, but he looked over his shoulder to stare at Ino's face. "A girl?" he uttered, sounding as if he didn't believe her. Ino nodded, smiling. Shikamaru sat up to stare at the belly that held their precious daughter and—Ino couldn't believe her eyes—he leaned down and kissed Ino's stomach.

Ino never expected Shikamaru to be the sort of person that would or want to care for a child, but she also never expected him to volunteer as a father. Someone who volunteered to parent a child that wasn't theirs was rare, especially among the teens and early twenties. Shikamaru had a life ahead of him, probably marry the woman of his dreams and have beautiful kids. If Ino decided to keep their daughter, Ino would take everything away from Shikamaru, and she couldn't do that since she probably made his life a living hell the past eight months. Over such a long course, Ino didn't recognize the Shikamaru in front of her. This Shikamaru was altruistic and always full of surprises, or was Shikamaru always like this and Ino needed a pregnancy to notice this side to Shikamaru?

A scratching noise screeched from the window, unfortunately ruining the moment Ino and the Nara were in. Shikamaru growled under his breath. He rolled off the couch and trudged towards the window, opening it. A tiny hawk hops in from the outside and perched itself on the couch arm. Ino hesitantly took the note that was tied to its leg.

_Yamanaka, my office A.S.A.P!  
__Tsunade_

Ino groaned and crumpled the note, tossing it over her shoulder. She looks at Shikamaru with eyes the size of grapefruits. "She freaking knows."

* * *

"I'm glad you managed to make it all the way up here without busting your water, Ino," Tsunade snorted as Ino trekked into the Hokage's office. "Do you have Shikamaru carrying you the whole way or what?"

No, ma'am," Ino snickered back. "I'd like to inform you that I can move and walk like I did before I was pregnant."

"That's an unlikely statement, but I digress. Uh, Shikamaru, you look like you've been wrestling a tiger."

Shikamaru plopped into the seat in front of the Hokage's desk, crossed his arms and stretched out his long legs. "It's been a long day. To be brutally honest, Lady Hokage, this unexpected call was troublesome. It's scary at night and you make us walk."

"You should be used to it."

"Not when someone walks two miles an hour and has to take a break every five minutes."

That's the Shikamaru Ino knew….

Ino smacked Shikamaru across the back of his head. "How about we switch bodies and see how fast you can walk?" She rubbed her belly and pouted. Shikamaru reached over and placed a hand over hers with an apologetic smile. She just smacked his hand away.

"Anyway," Tsunade snapped, waving her hand to dismiss the scene playing in front of her. "I have urgent news and you two are acting like a newlywed couple." The Hokage waited a second to analyze the young shinobi, who were now flushed ten shades of red. "Ino, please sit down before the weight of your stomach causes you to fall face first." Still blushing, Ino dropped into a seat.

"We're ready," Shikamaru said.

"I was informed by the Kumo shinobi that about two weeks ago, the Blue Pub burned to the ground. The cause is assumed to be a grease fire gone badly, but there is still further investigation. According to witnesses, there were only three survivors. The rest…well…."

The room began to spin. Ino wasn't sure if it was the pregnancy starting to kick in, exhaustion catching up to her, or the sudden nausea of thinking that her second family being in danger.

"They burned in the fire," Shikamaru assumed.

"No, they were found dead in the back of the restaurant. They were found lined up. I'm guess someone killed them and then burned the place down, but I'm wondering why this person didn't burn the bodies with the pub."

Shikamaru sideways glanced at Ino before returning his attention to their superior. "If it's the person I'm thinking of, there should be a reason why he did such a thing. Will there be autopsies?"

"Yes."

"Are we getting the results?"

"No," Tsunade responded, "but I can request them."

"Mmm, what can you tell me about the survivors? Like who they are?"

"The survivors are yet to be discovered. Witnesses just saw three people walking out of the pub a few minutes before the fire starting. They couldn't see their faces because they had hoods over them, but authorities are searching for them based off eye witnesses who have seen them around Kumo in the past few days. From what I'm told, they're heading in this direction, and I'm assuming that if they're on their way, so is Hidan." Tsunade flashes a concerned look in Ino's direction, but she ignores it and focuses on not having some sort of heart or panic attack. "Hidan was spotted a few days ago in Grass. I'll have border patrol keep their eyes out for all of them and I'll have ANBU looking for Hidan. Shikamaru, please stay vigilant and stay with Ino. We can never predict an Akatsuki member's moves."

"Understood."

"Good, go get some rest. I'll have ANBU walk you home; I know you two are very tired."

As Shikamaru and Ino made their way down the stairs, Ino grasped Shikamaru hand and gripped it tightly. "I'm scared," she whispered. Her voice sounded shaky and Shikamaru knew she was holding back tears.

"Yeah," he whispered back, squeezing her hand. "I am, too."


	37. Crawl: Meeting

**Chapter 37: Meeting**

* * *

Come eat breakfast with the family, he said. Bring your family and we can have a nice chat, he said. What the hell was he thinking? Shikamaru slouched in his seat and sighed, picking at his eggs. The conversation at the breakfast table was awkward, which is what he did not expect. His brain formulated some kind of dramatic intervention about Ino, the baby, and how she should keep it, but ever since Ino and himself walked through the door, the tension between the two families escalated and no one spoke a word. It was funny because from outside the house, the couple could hear their parents laughing and gossiping about the latest neighborhood scandals.

Maybe it was too early in the day to discuss their situation; Shikamaru knew he never wanted to talk about it, especially in the mornings when all Shikamaru wanted to do was scratch his personal parts. But, this discussion had to be done now because his dad is leaving for a mission with Ino's father later on in the day…and Ino and Shikamaru somehow planned a dinner date with their old friends.

Being around others didn't give a chance for Hidan to attack them; at least, that's what Shikamaru planned. The man needed discretion in order to attack or the whole entire population of Konoha would be after his head. In order for Hidan to attack Ino needed to be alone or with Shikamaru, which Shikamaru hoped to all gods that wouldn't happen.

Shikamaru suspected that the Akatsuki member was already in Konoha. Yesterday, after the preliminary rounds were over and he dismissed the remaining Genin, he made his way upstairs to see everyone out and head home to rest and prep for the next month. However, the halls and lounges were clear of his co-workers and as he trudged towards the upstairs lounge, he stumbled over an ANBU woman laid at the bottom of the stairs with her neck angled in a way that wasn't normal. It looked as if she was pushed down the stairs. However, blood poured from the wounds all over her body. Blood painted the walls and staircase, dripping from step to step as Shikamaru sprinted up to the lounge. No one was in the perfectly clean lounge, but the window was wide open.

"Shikamaru, are you all right?" his mother asked, elbowing him in his ribs. Shikamaru straightened up and popped a piece of egg into his mouth and then nodded, keeping his eyes on his plate. Yoshino cleared her throat and turned her attention to Ino. "So, Ino, do you know the sex yet?"

Ino looked surprised. She placed her chopsticks on her plate and like Shikamaru, kept her eyes on her dish. "Uh, it's a girl," she uttered.

Shikamaru glanced at his mother. She clapped her hands together in delight and he swore she started bouncing in her seat. "That's so exciting! What are you going to name her?"

"Uh, Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Nara, we're giving her up for adoption," Ino said, eyes still fixated on something else other than the eight pairs of eyes jumping from her face to Shikamaru's. Ino sucked in a breath. "Shikamaru and I feel that it is better that we give her to a couple…er, person, who is more capable of raising her."

A person, she said? Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow and studied the blonde's face, but her stoic expression gave him no clues.

"I was gonna have a granddaughter!" Shikamaru's mother wailed, slamming her palms on the tabletop. She pouted and leaned over the table. Ino leaned away and blinked in confusion at the overwhelmed woman. "You must reconsider, Ino!"

Ino shook her head. "It's decision that I feel in better for o-our, uh, daughter. Shikamaru and I can't raise a child." She sounded like she was holding back tears. "As much as I want to keep her, we're only children ourselves."

Shikamaru remembered closing the window, turning around to see blood running up and down the walls. It read, "Hide and seek is over."

"Shikamaru, what do you have to say about this?"

After what happened, Shikamaru's mind shoved any thought of keeping Ino's daughter. The best choice was to keep the baby out of harm's way. Shikamaru just hoped that Hidan would make an appearance after the baby's birth. Shikamaru shrugged and mumbled, "I have no objections."

"Yoshino," Shikaku butted in, placing a comforting hand over his wife's hand, "respect their decisions. As painful as it is that I technically won't be a granddaddy soon, they are thinking of someone besides themselves, and we all know that this is very rare." Inoichi nodded and Ino's mother just sighed.

Shikamaru mouthed 'thank you' to his father, who just winked and sipped his morning beer.

"Eh, Ino, honey," Ino's mother whispered, hiding behind Inoichi's shoulder when Yoshino glanced over at her, "what do you plan on doing when you get back to work?" Yoshino nodded with agreement and turned her interest to Ino, who stared at her mother with bored eyes.

"It'll take a while for my body to recover and get used to my chakra again, but I plan to start where I left off." Shikamaru wiggled his nose at the answer. She wanted to 'start where she left off'? Does that mean there was a possibility that he'd have to track her down in Kumogakure again?

Yoshino smiled and cocked her head to the side. "Do you know who you're giving the child to yet?"

"Eh," Ino's voice trailed as she glared at Shikamaru. The Nara pushed back into his seat, caught off guard. "Tanaka Kanna."

Ino's father, Inoichi, hummed his approval with a faint smile playing along his lips. Shikamaru's parents also beamed with a sort of gratitude in their aged eyes. Ino's eyes bounced from each parents, obviously confused about all the smiles and the sudden relief of tension. Shikamaru pursed his lips and remained seated. He wanted to jump out of his seat, kick it over and shout his victory cry; he wanted to bounce around Ino and brag that his choice was right, but knowing Ino, she was expecting it later and Shikamaru had to expected threats towards his face and/or his manly parts.

Mai was the first to respond. "She's a lovely, kind woman," her mother, who was smiling the biggest of all the parents, said. "I remember when your father and you were gone on a mission; she came by and helped with the flower shop. She even helped repaint the fence."

Ino flashed a quick smile at her mother before reverting back to her blank expressions. "I actually am meeting with her this afternoon." Shikamaru threw her a betrayed look, but she just shrugged off his reaction. How come he wasn't informed about this? Oh right, it's because she's all mighty Ino and she never tells him diddily shit.

* * *

Breakfast went well, Ino thought as she and Shikamaru walked down Main Street, hand in hand as usual. The parents took the whole adoption news better than Ino expected and it surprised her that they somewhat supported her decision in giving her child to Kanna. She guessed the name put tension to rest. Ino really was a bad judge of character….

"How come you didn't tell me you were seeing Kanna later?" Shikamaru spontaneously questioned after walking in silence for several long minutes. Ino was almost startled.

"It was a spur of the moment thing. I—"

"All this spur of the moment stuff is going to bust your water."

Ino pinched the skin between his thumb and index finger, causing him to squeal in pain. "Let me finish, asshole," Ino hissed. "I called her this morning before you picked me up and I asked if I was able to come over. It's not like I had this planned for a while. Come if you want."

"I have to speak with Tsunade, but I'll walk you over there."

Ino snorted and rolled her eyes. "You're treating me like a six-year-old."

"You do remember what Tsunade told us last night."

Ino stalled her response, remembering exactly what the Hokage shared with the duo the night before. "I choose not to think about it."

"That won't get you killed or anything." Ever since the meeting with Tsunade, Shikamaru acted out of character. Usually, he'd try to keep conversation with her, ask her how she felt and how the baby was doing, but as they walked to the Nara's compound and now back to Ino's apartment, he stared at nothing in particular. His dark eyes were watching something play in his mind, his own reverie instead of the scene playing in front of him.

"Um, Shikamaru, are you doing okay?" Ino whispered, looking at his zoned out face. She squeezed his fingers gently and waited for him to squeeze her fingers, but he just stared at the sidewalk. "Shikamaru?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine."

The rest of the way to Ino's apartment, they walked in silence. Ino wanted to give her feet a break the whole time, but with Shikamaru in his zombie like state, he would walk off without her, so she stayed close to his side.

She wouldn't admit it to Shikamaru, but the thought of Hidan being anywhere close to the village frightened her. She wasn't afraid of being killed but afraid that Hidan could hurt her friends and most importantly, Shikamaru and the baby. The two people that stayed by her side (both involuntarily, but we can kick that detail).

Was it too late to tell Shikamaru to leave? Let her deal with her own problems? She could but Shikamaru wasn't the one to desert someone in their time of need or when he's gone so far with something. For such an asshole, he was a noble and loyal asshole.

Once they arrived at Ino's apartment, Shikamaru sighed and looked at her with fatigued eyes. "Are you doing okay?" he asked.

Ino arched a brow and mockingly reciprocated the question. She wouldn't answer if he wouldn't give her a straight answer. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm fine," Shikamaru assured.

"You don't sound or look fine to me." Shikamaru looked like death attached to her hand. "I think you should take a long nap."

"I have to see Tsunade soon, though. When are you meeting Kanna?"

Ino opened the door and peeked at the clock. It was 11 and she promised to be over by 12:30. If only they had a few more hours so Shikamaru could actually rest. "I have an hour and a half, so sleep for half an hour while I get ready." Ino beckoned over to the couch. "There's already a blanket and pillow if you want it."

Ino left the room to wash her face, not knowing Shikamaru took the offer or not. "Ino," he quietly called from the den. Ino poked her head into the room. Shikamaru sprawled along the couch with the pillow over his face. "Are you ever going to tell your parents…about Hidan?" His voice was muffled and hard to understand.

"No," Ino answered, "it's a secret between you and me."

"What about Sakura?"

"Within time."

"You mean when he shows up and terrorizes all of Konoha?"

That wasn't the image Ino wanted in her head. "Please, don't say that, Shikamaru," Ino whispered soft enough for him to not hear. She quietly snuck back into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Ino stared in the mirror. Terrorize all of Konoha Shikamaru said. His question echoed in her head like a ringing in your ears.

"We make a good couple, Blondie."

Sudden heat pressed against her; she could _feel _him. In the mirror she watched the smirking silver haired man circle her, eyes on her like he was famished and she was a tasty piece of meat. His hands danced along her bare arms and neck, tickling her like feathers. And then, his hands swooped to her stomach, a single fingertip trailing down her round stomach. She watched his pale hand with her own eyes as it drew patterns. _She could feel him_.

Ino shut her eyes even though she could still feel his featherlike fingertips moving along her skin and his hot breath slowly blowing against her ear. _One…, _Ino counted. _Two… Three…_

He vanished, leaving no traces besides the blazing trails on Ino's skin. Ino looked in the mirror, at her terrified face and her weary eyes, her pale face.

"Ino!" Shikamaru called. The door cracked open. Ino notice Shikamaru stick his nose into the bathroom. "You're not naked or anything, right?" He coughed in embarrassment. She noticed his nose turn a bright pink.

She chuckled. "No, you can come in, I guess."

Shikamaru opened the door and leaned against the frame. He smile turned into a frown when he took a good look at her. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you feeling okay?"

"It could be a sign that my water is going to break," Ino joked but Shikamaru's frown deepened. Ino flashed a half smile at him and grabbed his shirt, pulling Shikamaru towards her and embracing him. His arms were hesitant but slowly encased her securely, protecting Ino from all the figments of her imagination and those that weren't.

* * *

Kanna lived near the Eastern Gate, which wasn't too far from Ino's apartment but like Ino's apartment, it was far away from everything else. Her home hid behind the trees just so pedestrians could see the the front door of the quaint, amber brown home. At first glance, the home looked small, low maintenance with its small patch of lawn and a flower garden but as Ino approached the house, she noticed the house in its entirety, a large rancher style home.

"Holy shit," Shikamaru mumbled as they wandered around the house, snooping around Kanna's property since she didn't answer her doorbell. "She has a freaking glass wall in her house." Unsure if Shikamaru was exaggerating, Ino walked around the corner and sure enough, Ino was looking into a pale pink room with two light grey sofas and a small coffee table placed in front of the sofas. Ino reached out and pressed her palm against the glass that protected the room from nature.

"My daughter and I like watching the sun set below the Hokage Mountain every night," Kanna said from behind the couple, startling the wits out of them.

Ino pressed herself against the wall and rubbed her stomach. "Oh God," Ino cried, "There goes my water."

"Huh!" Shikmaru wailed and fanned the blonde with his hand. "Ino, this is not the time to give birth. Hold it in!"

Ino waved him away. "I'm joking…I think." She straightened out with the help of her friend's hand. "Hello, Kanna," Ino greeted, smiling as if she wasn't trespassing or dirtying up her shiny, glass wall, "it is good to see you."

Kanna smiled, making Ino want to punch herself in the face because Kanna was so stunning. "I should say the same to you. You look very well." Her brunette eyes jumped to Shikamaru who almost jump at the sudden change of attention. His eyes grew to the size of oranges and his lips pursed in a hard, straight line. "Um…you look good, too, Shikamaru."

His neck slowly turned red, but he quickly recovered by rubbing the back of his neck and clearing his throat. "Well, thank you," he said; his voice sounded deeper than usual. Ino rolled her eyes, grabbed him by the back of his shirt like grabbing a cat by its scruff, and with all her pregnant strength, pulled him away from the gorgeous, _older_ woman.

"You're embarrassing, Shikamaru," Ino mumbled as Shikamaru resisted, looking back at Kanna and awkwardly waving back at her. Ino pulled Shikamaru in front of her and stared at him. "You're like a thirteen-year-old boy. Go talk to Tsunade and come back once that's over, okay?" Or, not. Shikamaru's eyes were looking past Ino's face. "Shikamaru, I understand she's good looking—pay attention!"

He kissed her on the forehead, turned and left. "I'll be back later, Ino," he yelled as he jogged away.

"He's an odd one," Kanna laughed when Ino joined her at the front door. "Has he always been awkward with the ladies?"

"Just the pretty ones," Ino mutter bitterly. If only he would act like that around her, but then again, they grew up together. Kanna raised her thin eyebrows and smirked. Ino frowned. "Anyway, I wanted to come—"

"Investigate my home; make sure it's not covered with booby traps, secret passage ways, and laboratories?" Kanna giggled at Ino's astonished face. "It's happened to me before, but those stories are for another time. Come in."

"Your house is very beautiful," Ino commented as she eyed a cased weapon collection that covered two whole walls in her den and the beautiful nature color scheme of her home. "That collection is impressive. I haven't seen one so large before." The two walked over to the weapons. Ino curled her toes into the forest green rug that felt wonderful underneath her feet. Wonder where she bought it…

"Well, when you've been an ANBU for as long as me, you pick up some interesting weapons on missions. Some of these are illegal to have in the Fire Nation." Kanna laughed and winked at Ino. "That's a secret between you and me, though, right?"

Ino smiled. "My lips are zipped," she said as she did the motion of zipping her lips and tossing an imaginary key over her shoulder.

"Do you want to see the baby's room?"

"You already have the baby's room ready?"

Kanna averted her eyes to her weapons. "I have a horrible habit of jumping the gun. Ha, it's kind of funny how jumpy I am but my career record says otherwise. Anyway, it's down the hall." Kanna flipped the light switch, revealing a hallway that consisted of at least eight doors. On the walls were pictures of Kanna, her husband, and daughter but mostly pictures of her daughter throughout her childhood such as those embarrassing Academy pictures and pictures from family outings. The hard wood floors were covered by the same forest green rug that felt great between Ino's toes.

The baby's room was the third door on the left. On the door, there was a sign hanging from a nail that read, "Baby." Kanna flashed Ino a shy smile. "I'm not sure if it's a boy or a girl, so it has been called 'Baby' and I hope you like yellow. That's the neutral color, right? Or was it purple…?" Kanna was in the middle of her sentence when she opened the door.

The room smelled of paint, freshly shampooed carpets and fresh air. Baby blue curtains waved at them as air pooled in from the cracked window. Its sunshine walls were set by the white wall paper trimming with polka dots painted on the white. The crib matched the curtains and the blankets and pillows were blue and brown polka dots, which made Ino think that Kanna was hoping for a boy. Above the crib, written in pink and sloppy hand writing, was a little note.

"Little Baby, I love you! Love, Yumiko"

"Your little girl?"

"Yes, she's excited."

"Is she starting school yet?" Ino asked, staring at the message written on the wall.

"She's in her second year at the Academy. It's scary to think she'll be a Genin in four years."

"She has you as a mother. It's scary to think what she'll do."

Kanna chuckled. "Iruka says she's doing very well, so smart and athletic. She's the total opposite of me. In my academy days, I was the smart girl who would accidentally stab myself, not the girl who could hit the target every time with a blind fold. I was pretty clumsy as a kid."

Looking around the room still, wondering if her daughter could really live her, there was a question resting in the back of Ino's head. "Earlier you said something about people investigating your home, may I ask why?"

"This isn't the first time I tried adopting. Since I'm an ANBU, some parents think I'm sick and twisted because of the missions I've been on. They've even required psyche tests and even though I passed, they still think something is up. Then again, that's how all civilian parents are with shinobi. Uh, I don't think I told you that I'm teaching at the Academy next year?"

Of course she knew. Ino only nosed around her file for a good hour. "No, I don't think so."

"Well, I'm teaching at the Academy. My sister and I thought of a great schedule. My sister watches the baby in the morning and when I get back in the afternoon, I can have…uh…."

"Her."

"Her all to myself. Do you have a name for her yet?"

"No, you can name her if you want."

Kanna stared back at Ino with big, brown eyes. "No, she's your baby. I want you to name her."

"I'll have to think about it."

Ino sighed and looked at the note on the wall one last time, smiling at the heart next to Kanna's daughter's name. She will be a great older sister and Kanna—Ino looked at Kanna who was so gorgeous and now that Ino got to know her, nice—would make a wonderful mother. As much as she hated to admit Shikamaru was right, he was right to pick Kanna even though it was based off looks and skill. Along with her beautiful appearance and amazing status in the shinobi world, Ino knew this woman could teach her daughter how to be caring, polite to others, and how to be a kickass shinobi.

* * *

Ino wanted to shrink under the table. Shame her stomach was watermelon sized and the table would topple over even if she tried to adjust in her seat, so crawling underneath the table was simply out of the question. The ten other shinobi sitting at the dinner table weren't used to Ino's humongous belly. Occasionally, as she surveyed the table, noting how everyone has changed within the past few months, Ino would catch someone peeking at her stomach. The boys stared at the baby boulder the most as if an alien would tear through her stomach and gobble them whole. Choji wasn't as surprised as the others but Ino's stomach definitely grew since she last saw him. When Tenten saw her, she squealed in disgusting delight and asked to rub her belly. Ino smacked her hand away. Rock Lee stared at her with admiration and astonishment, rambling about Ino experiencing a miracle of life.

By the looks of things, she missed out on a lot, too. Kiba slung an arm around a blushing Hinata and quickly pecked her on the cheek. Funny, Hinata was in love with Naruto the last time Ino checked and it must be awkward for her considering Sakura and Naruto were sitting next to this newly found couple.

Ino snuck a glance at Shikamaru who sat to her left. Shikamaru was in a light conversation with Neji, probably talking about strategy and Neji's life as ANBU. Neji becoming an ANBU must be new as well since Ino knew he held Jonin status when she left for Cloud. Tenten and Rock Lee sat next to Neji and they appeared to be bickering about something. Rock Lee nudged Tenten in the ribs and beckoned to Neji and Tenten would wave him off, sighing sadly. There must be something going on with Tenten and the Hyuuga.

Choji sat at the end of the table, chowing down as usual and oblivious to everything happening at the table. Shino sat next to Naruto who sat there and stared at his food, probably feeding it to his insects and Ino just couldn't see from where she sat.

Ino definitely missed everyone and she couldn't wait to be back in the field, working with them.

"So, Shikamaru, since you and Ino are pregnant, does that mean you and Temari are over?" Kiba suddenly questioned with an evil smirk on his lips. He ignored Hinata's soft, "Kiba, that isn't nice." Ino took that back—she missed everyone _except _Kiba.

Shikamaru choked on his water. Ino patted his back as he struggled through a coughing fit. "Of course, they're over, Kiba," Naruto chimed, rolling his eyes as if he knew everything—if only Ino could get her hands on him and not have her water break… "Shikamaru is going to be a father soon. He'd be a bitch if he stayed with Temari."

"Yeah, Shikamaru, you'd be a bitch if you stayed with Temari," Ino mumbled as Shikamaru's coughing died down. She smirked at the squeamish young man. He fidgeted in his seat and pretended he wasn't listening to this conversation while he continued to eat his food.

"I dumped her," Shikamaru hissed harshly between bites.

"Because you were practically forced," Ino whispered back, which made Shikamaru stop chewing for a quick second. "You'll go right back to her when everything is blown over." That made Shikamaru set his chopsticks down. He stared at her with pained eyes; Ino looked away.

"Shikamaru," Kiba called, grinning at the two impishly. Shikamaru tore his gaze away and looked at his friend. "Kiss Ino."

"EH?" Ino hollered, eyebrows rising through the ceiling. As much as Ino felt bad for saying that comment, there was no way in hell she was going to let Shikamaru kiss her. Shikamaru couldn't be considering it.

"Do it, Shikamaru!" Naruto chanted as he pounded his fists into the table, singing a song about Ino and Shikamaru sitting in a tree.

Ino growled in frustration. This wasn't going to happen. "Kiss me and you die."

Shikamaru sighed. "This is troublesome. You do know it's going to go on all night until it happens," he whispered. "I don't want to do it as much as you."

"Shikamaru, don't you dare."

He laid one on her. A sloppy, wet kiss she used to get when Ino was in her last year of the Academy, when the nervous, pubescent boys thought drooling onto a girl's lips was sexy and considered kissing. In all honesty, it reminded her of kissing a dog…not that Ino has ever kissed a dog…voluntarily.

Shikamaru pulled away from her and the table (mainly Kiba, Naruto, and Rock Lee) erupted in cheers and whistles, chanting to do it again. Ino looked away from Shikamaru, to Sakura for help. Her best friend stared back at her in shock with her jaw practically hitting the table top.

"Eh, so Ino, how do you like your food?" Tenten started awkwardly when the cheering died down and the table became silent.

Throughout the night, Shikamaru and Ino did not exchange a word or a glance after the kiss. Ino kept her attention of the girls and the right side of the table, not paying attention to the source of heat pinned to the left side of her body. She also tried ignoring the heat on her cheeks and pretended she wasn't cherry red.

After dinner when everyone started to make excuses to leave—Neji had a mission in the morning, Kiba and Hinata needed to stop by her house to check in with her uncle before going off to prepare for their mission in two days, and Tenten fell asleep and Rock Lee needed to take her home before she started sleep fighting (yes, fighting)—Shikamaru walked Ino back to her apartment. Ino begged Sakura to walk her home instead of Shikamaru but Naruto whisked her off before Sakura could give her an apologetic look and decline. Hmph, so much for a friend...

Shikamaru kept silent during the walk. He even kept his distance between them. Ino definitely preferred him holding her hand and keeping close instead of this cold distance, but if Ino tried advancing towards the spiky haired Nara, he would match the distance she walked towards him.

"I don't understand why you're not talking to me," Ino finally said, fed up with the silence between the two. She inhaled deeply. "I mean it was only a kiss, I guess. You've kissed people before, so it's not like it's a big deal," she rambled. "We've kissed people before."

They were now in the elevator and Ino ran out of words to say. She sighed when she knew Shikamaru wouldn't let up the silent treatment. Ino was the first out of the elevator, marching to her door as fast as she could waddle and hoping that it was fast enough to leave Shikamaru in her pregnant dust.

Just as Ino wiped out her key and shoved it into the keyhole, "Uh, Ino," Shikamaru mumbled, catching her attention.

Ino leaned against the door, arms crossed. "Now you want to talk to me?"

Shikamaru reached up, caressing a finger along her jawline like a feather gently trailing across one's skin. Ino was frozen, back pressed against the door and hands against Shikamaru's chest. He leaned down kissing her cheeks as soft as a hush, breathing evenly in her ear. His lips traveled along her cheek, leaving fluttering fire in its wake and finally, his lips paused at her mouth, so close that if she leaned in her lips and his would meet. She could feel his hot breath teasing her upper lip. It felt like an eternity, standing there, so close and suddenly, Shikamaru chuckled and leaned away.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Ino watched the young man saunter down the hall and once she heard the elevator ding, Ino turned the key and stepped inside. She heavily leaned against the door and touched her cheek. "What just happened?"


	38. Crawl: Clueless

**I went ahead and punched myself in the face on behalf of everyone waiting. Oh, and another story is in the works right now so look out for that! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 38  
****Clueless**

* * *

The late summer breeze cooled Sakura's skin as she walked home from Naruto's apartment that night. It was long and tedious with all the paperwork he made her do, but they finished it before midnight. Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hair, thinking about her no-brained boyfriend running this village someday and he didn't even know how to write his name at the top of the page. No, she should give him more credit. She just needed to keep the faith.

She would have to trust him and his antics if she wanted to stay with him. The other night, he talked about marriage which wasn't exactly what Sakura expected out of Naruto. Could Sakura stay with him for what's supposed to be a life commitment? In health and sickness, till death do they part? Naruto definitely came a long ways since the genin days and so much changed up to this point and to Sakura's satisfaction, they were moving along splendidly through life, but—seriously!—was she ready to spend the next arc of her life wedded to the soon-to-be Hokage? Did she want a family? There was so much to sacrifice if they decided to start a family—well; she'd give up a lot to bear children.

Sakura glanced up at her looming apartment which was still quite a ways away.

Was this nervousness in her gut the same thing Ino felt when she thought about surrendering her life as a shinobi to become a mother? No wonder Ino was always a nervous wreck when the subject came up. No wonder Ino was so hostile towards Shikamaru who offered to help her through the matter. No matter how much help was provided, Ino was still the one to give her life as a shinobi to become a mother. If only Sakura could be in Ino's shoes for a day to see what it was like, maybe she would understand Ino a bit more. One had to be pretty selfless to give up something they trained their whole life to cut it short and live under another's beck and call, but that was Sakura's opinion.

Faint panting coming towards Sakura caught her attention. The figure traveled under the street lights and by the spiky ponytail bouncing up and down behind his head as he ran, Sakura knew exactly who the mystery man was. As he approached her, he slowed his pace down and came to a stop, hands on his knees.

"Shikamaru, hi." He gave her a halfhearted wave as he caught his breath. "Why ya running?" she asked in a sing-song manner as she grinned at the struggling friend.

"I…was gonna talk to you tomorrow, but I…supposed now is a good time." He paused to straighten out. "I need your advice!"

"You were running to find me?"

"No, I was running cause I'm—anyway, it's about Ino. Should I have kissed her?"

"No." If Shikamaru couldn't feel Sakura's glares of disapproval at the dinner table, Sakura didn't know what would make him think wasting his first kiss with Ino because of peer pressure was a horrible idea.

Shikamaru waved her off. "Not at the restaurant," Shikamaru mumbled bashfully. "When I dropped her off, I…think I…you know…"

"You wanted to kiss her?" How juicy. Could Shikamaru have a crush on Ino? Sakura crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "Well, why didn't you?"

Shikamaru's cheeks turned a light pink—how cute. "I don't know. She doesn't even like me in that way."

"Ask her! I mean it shouldn't be that hard. How'd you and Temari become an item?"

"One time at the library, she just grabbed my—"

Sakura waved her hands in the air, cutting his story short. "Forget it!" Shikamaru just smirked at the reaction and crossed his arms, waiting for his advice. Sakura sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Just ask her, Shika—eh, did you leave her alone at the apartment?"

"Shit."

* * *

The shrill cries rumbled her eardrums like a boom of thunder erupting right outside house windows but the tremble of this awful noise didn't just vibrate through her bones and pain her ears; it hit a sore spot in her chest. It made her cringe in pain and her heart beat erratically, longing to care for the source of the sound.

Underneath the horrible screaming, she could hear faint coos and an evil chuckle. She knew whose laugh that belonged to. Her vision was blurry and the fuzzy figure dressed in black and red clad traveled further and further away the longer she stared.

"Hidan," she whispered.

Her body couldn't move. None of her limbs responded.

The crying ceased and it became eerily silent, a tension in the air that could almost choke someone. Despite his back turned to her, she pictured him beaming a devilish smile. The silver haired man glanced over his shoulder, proving her theory correct—he was grinning at her. However, Ino didn't care for that face; she cared for the bundle of pale skin and blonde hair he carried in his arms. Her daughter began to cry and struggled to escape the evil grasp but her cries were silent.

"Ino."

Ino ripped her eyes open to meet jade orbs hovering over her. It was only a nightmare. "When do you get home?" Ino asked, breathless.

"Just a few minutes ago." Sakura leaned back on her bed and sighed in what seemed to be relief. Sakura smiled and placed a hand on her calf, squeezing gently. "Shikamaru left you here like an idiot. I got worried," she explained through tight lips.

Shikamaru. Ino looked out the window and wondered what he was up to at this time. When the blonde returned her eyes to Sakura, she immediately looked away from the sudden smug look of I-Know-Something-You-Don't on her best friend's face. "I think he might like you."

Ino snorted as if it was unbelievable and totally not Shikamaru-like but she couldn't ignore that her heart fluttered into her throat at those words. Did she have feelings for the Nara kid? Ino took a second to reflect deep down and decided that no, she didn't. These feelings were too sudden for her to actually like him.

A gentle knock came from the window. Ino jumped. Who would come knocking on people's windows at this hour? Sakura whipped out a kunai from her thigh holster and crept towards the window, peering outside to see a white ANBU mask pressed against the window. Both girls squeaked and Sakura jumped back. Ino held her breath as the mask began to turn to her and a pale, human hand waved. Ino never noticed how creepy those masks were, especially when it was just the mask floating around with a black background. Sakura inhaled and slid the window open, quickly placing the kunai to the ANBU's throat.

"What do you want?"

The masked man raised his hands up in a signal of peace. Sakura kept her weapon steady. He sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat or in annoyance—Ino couldn't tell. "Tsunade is calling for Ino. It's an emergency and I'm to escort you two to her office." He sighed when Sakura raised a brow in disbelief. "Look, I've been watching the place for some time now. I'm not some undercover spy for Hidan, okay? Oh, here." The man reached into his back pocket and presented a short note from the Hokage, which told him to grab the two for an urgent meeting in her office.

"Forgery."

"Damn, Sakura," the man hissed. "You're making me go against policy, stupid." He pulled up his mask to reveal a quite irritated soft, a hard pressed line for lips and soft, chocolate eyes. "Trust me now?"

"Genma, I didn't know you are—"

"I was voluntold. Meet me downstairs."

Genma lounged in the lobby when they arrived. Sakura sported her work clothes and Ino, well, had her silk, purple jammies on. Genma wore the standard shinobi gear, navy sweats and matching long sleeved shirt. Ino noticed his eyes drooping as he sat on the edge of the couch with arms crossed and his senbon nearly falling out of the corner of his mouth.

"Genma." Sakura kicked the leg of the couch. Sakura quickly glanced over her shoulder to look at Ino with a quick smile. "Hey, wake up."

"Sorry," he mumbled, jolting awake. He yawned and tiredly pointed towards the exit. "Lead the way."

The two women lead the pack while Genma covered them from behind. Ino could feel the tension rolling off Sakura and Genma, whom were on high alert and using a great deal of chakra to make sure the next hundred paces were safe and that no one followed them. They stopped whenever the trees or bushes rustled and at one point, Genma leaped into the bushes only to find a young couple…cuddling.

Konoha felt different at night but then again, what place didn't? The wind rustled through the trees' branches and whistled between alleyways and cracked open windows. It made her skin crawl. Ino could hear owls, the piercing sound of bats using their echolocation, and the pebbles tumbling across the sidewalks as the trio walked in silence down a dark path.

Sakura broke the silence, making Ino freeze. "Have you heard anything on this situation?" Sakura asked, glancing at Genma. Ino followed suit.

Genma nodded. "Tsunade will fill you in once we arrive."

The walk tortured Ino's already swollen feet but did she want to stop and rest, maybe massage her aching soles? Hell no! One, she wanted to keep Genma and Sakura's nerves clear of stepping into the deep end and two, sitting in the dark while knowing an S-ranked criminal wanted to kill her didn't appeal to Ino as much as it would to others in her situation…if there were any. Just the thought of Hidan made her stomach—or, her daughter—churned uncomfortable, like she ate something rotten or drank too much water. The fact that him being somewhere in or close to the village sickened Ino so much she wanted to fall to her knees and cry, give in to him.

Sakura quickly rapped her knuckles on the Hokage's door and waited for Tsunade to summon them.

"Come in!" she hollered from beyond the double doors. Sakura pulled the doors in and Ino noted how crowded her office was.

The first person she noticed were curly-Q, blonde curls and warming emerald orbs staring at her. She had a cute button nose and freckles sprinkled along the bridge. Next to her was a familiar old face with a bark colored mustache and worried eyes and next to the man was a younger on with coal hair and matching eyes. His calm face turned sour when the three walked in. As the trio stood at attention in the center of the room, Ino could feel his harsh glare digging into her cheek.

"These three survived the fire in Kumo."

What?

Ino stepped forward and reached out to place a hand on the woman's shoulder, but she stepped away, grimacing. Ino drew her hand back. Ino's eyes never left Minako's face. Her green eyes glanced up at Ino but quietly averted back to her feet.

Tsunade spoke from behind the three that leaned against the front of her desk. "We're offering them protection and upped the security around the village. With these three and Ino here, Hidan has to be on the move." Genma groaned in response to the news. Tsunade pushed Jin and Konan apart and shot a glare at the man. "I don't know about you, Genma, but I don't want an S-ranked criminal anywhere near this village," she snapped. "You can go back to desk duty if you're really opposed to the idea."

Genma shook his head. "I'm at your service, ma'am." He bowed slightly.

Tsunade smirked before turning her attention to Ino and Sakura. "They're lodged at the inn across the street. Sakura, you are responsible for these three."

"But, Lady Tsunade, who will—"

"Shikamaru is on Ino duty. He's been notified via bird. He starts tomorrow."

"What is he doing now?" Ino asked.

"I believe he's patrolling with Kakashi."

Ino's breath hitched. The thought of Shikamaru finding Hidan was frightening. Could Shikamaru really stand a chance against a member of the Akatsuki? If Ino wasn't pregnant and useless, she'd be out there with him to make sure he was safe. Then again, if Ino wasn't pregnant, none of this would happen.

"With all due respect, I don't think Shikamaru should be patrolling the city," Ino piped. "What if something happens to him? He is supposed to be watching…me." The words burned in Ino's mouth—she wasn't a baby and definitely didn't need a baby sitter.

"I supposed you make a good argument. I'll message him quickly to switch with…Genma." Another groan. "He will be assigned to you until you are strong enough to hold on you own."

Ino bowed. "Thank you." From the corner of her eye, she noticed Minako staring at her with an indifferent look. "Also, I can show these three around town and Shikamaru will come with me as well." Ino peeked over at Minako to see any sort of reaction from the usual rambunctious woman, but the look-a-like Ino didn't budge.

"Very well," Tsunade sighed and slouched her in chair. "You need to stay healthy, Ino. The baby is due in a couple weeks." Ino tried to ignore the last comment. "Get your rest everyone. Genma, show these three to their room, please. Oh, and then switch with Shikamaru at the fifth Eastern post."

"C'mon," Sakura whispered, nudging Ino in the arm.

"Thank you, Ino," someone whispered as the friends turned and began to exit the room.

* * *

Shikamaru leaned against their door as Sakura and Ino approached their humble abode. Ino steps faltered at the sight of the young man sitting on the floor with his head tilted up, eyes closed. What was he doing here?

"Shikamaru?" Sakura whispered.

The young man's eyes flew open and turned to them. With a smile, he stood up and brushed off his pants. "Hey," he yawned. "Someone said that a certain, pregnant someone didn't like the idea of me being out there?" He grinned at Ino who did her best to hide behind Ino, but that was a bit hard to do when she was about three times wider than Sakura at the moment.

"You heard about everything?"

"Yeah."

"Things are about to get very interesting…." Sakura trailed. She unlocked the door and pushed the door open with caution. She paused at the door, eyes scanning along the darkness. Ino noticed Shikamaru stiffen and purse his lips.

Shikamaru grabbed Ino's hand and pulled her close to his side. "Someone was here," he whispered in his ear.

"He's gone."

Sakura flipped the light switch. Nothing went touched but why did fear cripple Ino into a frozen statue, unable to even blink an eye or twitch a finger? Sweat dripped down her forehead like condensation dripping down a window.

Shikamaru gave her a soft pull by the hand and lead Ino to her bedroom. "You should probably get some rest."

"You should, too. I know you haven't slept for a while now."

"Don't worry about me," he mumbled.

"About earlier…"

Shikamaru flipped the light switch on. "Just forget about…it."

She stepped into a world of horror and her impending doom. Her room was cluttered with splintered wood from her bed and dresser; clothes discarded from the broken drawers and shredded bed sheets. Terror flooded Ino as her eyes zeroed in on a carving on the wall, "I found you". Shikamaru blocked her view just as Ino's breath hitched in her throat and her eyes began to water in absolute horror.

"C'mon," he mumbled, guiding her out the room.

Sakura clenched her fists and slammed them into the door frame, causing the whole apartment to shake. "Shit," Sakura uttered, analyzing the room. She then turned to the couple standing in the corner of the living room. "Shikamaru, get her out of here," she ordered. "I'll go report this. Take her to your place for the night."

Sakura's voice felt distant in Ino's ears. They echoed in her head. "Sakura," Ino mumbled, finally understanding her words. She took a step away from Shikamaru's touch. He stared at her, almost hurt from her action but Ino ignored it no matter how much her gut wrenched at the sight of her friend's expression. "What if he's Hidan?" Ino asked, beckoning her head towards Shikamaru, or what looked like Shikamaru.

Her best friend's jades jumped from Ino's panicked eyes to Shikamaru who gaped at Ino. Ino kept her eyes away from him. "That could explain why you were waiting outside when we got here."

"No!" Shikarmaru waved his hands in front of him in defense. He backed up until his back hit the wall. "You seriously think that I—I…no!" Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands at his sides and looked Sakura in the eye. "Tsunade sent a message saying that I was needed here, so I sprinted over. You know for a fact that you would see through a stupid technique like that, Sakura."

"Then you won't mind this." Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, almost rudely shoving him back into the wall. "Kai."

Nothing happened.

With a sigh of relief, Sakura stepped away and turned her attention back to the destroyed room. She walked over and slammed the door shut, rattling the furniture in the den. Ino heard stomping—the upstairs neighbors must not enjoy all the rattling going on.

"Take her to your house, Shikamaru. Stay with her."

Shikamaru kept his distance as they walked to his house. His arms crossed around his chest and Ino could hear him mumbling under his breath. He was seriously offended.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry that I accused you of being Hidan. It was just a thought." Ino shuddered at the thought of her prediction being right. "Someone like him would do something like that. You should be proud of me for coming up with that idea."

Way back in the depths of Ino's mind, her consciousness held suspicion that Hidan really did disguise himself as Shikamaru. Ino wouldn't be able to notice because her chakra currently tended to another task besides Ino's safety and it wasn't willing to bend in the slightest. The idea made sense though. No one would worry if Shikamaru walked her around because of course he was the "father". However, once they were alone, Hidan could cancel the technique and kill her without much of a hassle.

"He can't be that stupid, though. Not when those three just arrived and Tsunade upped security within a matter of minutes. If you hadn't noticed, which you obviously didn't, there were two ANBU following you on the walk home so you'd have some extra protection. If you and Sakura didn't suspect anything of me, they sure as hell would see through it," he snapped. Ino grimaced.

"Well, ANBU could be henchmen in disguise."

Shikamaru sighed. "Why do I even bother arguing with you?" He sighed once more, rubbing the back of his neck. "At least you're safe for now," he said, his eyes in a different world but he quickly snapped out of it. "We need sleep," he quickly added.

"I refuse."

"Suit yourself. You'll regret it when you're sleep deprived and cranky."

All hints of suspicion vanished when he coolly closed the distance between them, laced his fingers with hers and gently squeezed. She could feel the quiet pulse between his fingers. It was fast and erratic but as time passed, the beat settled into a slow, rhythmic pulse.

His house was dark inside—as it should be at two in the morning. Shikamaru leaned in close and whispered, "Be quiet. My parents are sleeping and the last thing we need is a questioning."

"Gee, Shikamaru, almost twenty and you still live with your parents?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It's not the time for joking and I also don't see why it's of your concern why I live with my parents _still_." Ino grinned.

After a painful minute of sliding open a rickety door, they tiptoed down the hall in the opposite direction of his parents' room. They passed a window where Ino could see the small creek in his backyard, the place where Ino told him the true story. Funny how the end of the story is approaching soon, too fast for Ino's comfort.

Shikamaru's room was the only room on this wing of the house. Ino spent many nights as a child in this wing, screaming and teasing Shikamaru who refused to play with her. In their rookie days, she spent an endless amount of nights and days in his room, talking about strategy and prepping for long journeys. How come this night couldn't be different than the rest?

"Sleep on my bed," Shikamaru whispered. He voice sounded distant. "I'll sleep on the floor," and the door closed behind her. Ino turned but he wasn't there.

Ino sat on the edge of the bed. The walls were bare—they were always bare, even when they were children. He had the game table with pieces scattered across the board in the center of the room. Asuma bought him that a few weeks into their first year as rookies. His room hasn't changed much.

"My dad is out," Shikamaru announced, making Ino jump. He had an armful of blankets and pillows. With a playful smile, he dumped everything on Ino. "Waking up my mom is just about as bad as waking up both so…still keep quiet."

"I'm telling her you said that," Ino teased and grabbed a blanket, folding it in half. "Let me make your bed. It's the most I can do…."

Shikamaru smirked. Ino felt the bed dip under his weight. Shikamaru leaned back on his hands, watching her fold the blanket in half to make a makeshift sleeping bag. They sat in silence. Ino could feel his eyes burying into his spine. She stood up and laid the blanket on the ground.

When the bed was finished, she turned to Shikamaru with a grin only to see a sheet float above her. It rested on the top of her head and draped around her shoulders. "What are you doing?" Shikamaru only smiled with the ends of the sheets balled into his fists. He pulled on them, causing the blonde to take a step forward. All she could see was his face, his eyes that held an emotion that she couldn't describe and it made butterflies flutter. She tried looking away but the sheet didn't allow her.

"Earlier," Shikamaru uttered, eyes zig-zagging to every part of her face except for her eyes, "you asked about… I, well…" Shikamaru stepped closer to her. With her giant baby belly between them, he stepped as close as permitted. "I'm going to sound stupid but I just wanted to make up for what happened at dinner."

Ino raised a curious brow and joked, "Oh, you're talking about that horrible kiss?" Shikamaru wrinkled his nose in distaste.

A herd of different emotions Ino hadn't felt in ages collided with each other and rampaged through her brain in a confused rage. What happened at her door was because he wanted to make up for a dog kiss? Take back a horrible kiss with a…what was supposed to be a kiss but was actually fuel to a very confused fire?

Ino swallowed a nervous lump in her throat. "So why didn't you…you know, kiss me?"

Shikamaru bit his lip. "It wouldn't be fair to…me."

Kissing her wouldn't be fair to me he said. Did it cross his mind at all that it would be unfair to her as well? Women were sensitive creatures—especially the pregnant ones!

"I know it sounds selfish—"

"It kind of is."

"It would have brought up…feelings that I know you don't have for me," he said quickly. After a second, he chuckled. "I don't know if it was our 'relationship' that gave me these feelings but I just want to be with you, Ino." Blue eyes stared at brown, confused staring at confused. Where did this side of Shikamaru come from? Did he always possess this sensitive, emotional side to him? Ino was convinced he didn't have one.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and leaned forward. Their noses brushed and he pressed his forehead against hers. Ino closed her eyes. She listened to his breath which sounded shaky, nervous. She felt the fire burning across her skin and the anxiety flutter like hundreds of hummingbirds flew in her chest. She heard Shikamaru take a breath. The pressure on her forehead disappeared along with the gentle caress of his nose and the hot bursts tickling her skin. Ino dared to open her eyes. She was scared of the expression she would see on Shikamaru's face, some sort of pain, confusion, something. Did she have those feelings for him?

"Shikamaru," she whispered, forcing her eyes open.

She stared at his chest which still sported his forest green vest. Under the heavy fabric, she could see his mesh shirt and his collar bones. She could see his chest expand as he took a breath. Her blue orbs began to travel up to his neck. It was strained and the dull moonlight made his skin look paler. Just before she could see his face, a pull on the sheeted lurched Ino forward and a rush of heat encompassed her cheeks and in the same instant, she felt eager lips on hers. They were rough, coarse but his lips kissed her softly, as if he didn't want to hurt her. Without thinking, she stretched onto her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling the warm flush of his neck burning into her forearms. Shikamaru's lips stilled and a gush of cold air fanned across her lips, leaving her leaning forward in search of the warmth.

"I really don't understand anything anymore." Shikamaru held her at arm's length. His grip was tight on her shoulders—not like Ino cared; she just wanted to kiss him again.

"Neither do I and to be honest, I don't want to."


	39. Crawl: Pressure

**Woah, probably the fasteset I've ever updated in a long time. I just got excited.  
Please, enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 39  
Pressure**

* * *

After hours of staring at the ceiling, Shikamaru finally fell into a deep slumber, snoring just loud enough to perk Ino's ears. She didn't know how long she watched his frame expand and shrink under the lump of blankets he curled up under. He looked so uncomfortable sleeping on the floor but when Ino invited him to share the bed, he refused, aware that the thought of sharing a bed with him made Ino's insides queasy…and not in _that_ sort of way.

Shikamaru appeared younger as he felt. The constant wrinkles on his forehead, dark circles under his eyes and the stress in his eyes and face disappeared while he slept. He slept as if the world didn't come down on their shoulders. Life was good.

Just then, Shikamaru's eyes fluttered open, startling Ino but he then closed his eyes, falling back into dreamland. "Ino," he mumbled, groggy. The blonde lifted her head from her pillow and leaned forward, listening intently to what he had to say. She noticed the corner of his lips pull up as if he wanted to smirk. "How long are you going to stare at me, huh?"

Ino blinked, confused. "Eh?"

Russet eyes greeted her blue. The Nara boy smiled and turned her body to face her. His eyes fell closed with fatigued but they were forced back open. "I can feel you staring."

"Um, I'm…sorry." What else was she supposed to say?

"S'okay," he said and rolled on his back. He stretched. "So, what's the plan for today?"

Just then, a sonic boom vibrated the house and caused the two to jump out of bed, Ino slower than Shikamaru but she got there eventually. Outside Shikamaru's window, they watched a second firework soar into the sky and crackle in a gray smoke.

"That's right," she heard Shikamaru say under his breath. "I forgot the finals are in two days." He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Anyway, what's the plan for today?"

Ino shrugged. "I told Tsunade that we'd show those three around. I think I'll just take them to the store and buy them what they need, maybe cook dinner or lunch?"

"Tch, shouldn't you be bed ridden or something?"

Ino chucked her pillow at his face. "What do you mean by that?"

"Hey!" Shikamaru snatched the pillow and tossed it back to which Ino punched back at him. "I'm just saying you look like you're about to go into labor any day now. Maybe you should take it easy for the next few weeks."

"I'm fine, Shikamaru!"

The door slid open. "Shikamaru, what's with all this…?" Her mother zeroed on Ino. Curious eyes snapped towards Shikamaru who suddenly disappeared under his sheets with a quiet, "I'm sleeping…." Ino rolled her eyes and smiled at Shikamaru's mother, the only person to make a grown man hide under his blankets like a five-year-old girl.

"Good morning, Yoshino!" Ino waved and bowed her head slightly. Yoshino mirrored the action, interest still plaguing her face. "Eh, I'm sorry about all of this. There was an issue concerning my apartment and Shikamaru invited me to stay the night."

The temperamental woman stepped forward, face blank. "Ino," she said, unreadable, "you have such a cute baby belly!" Yoshino squealed and ran a hand over her stomach, cooing to it. Ino did her best to suppress a scoff.

Instead, Ino smiled. "Thank you very much!"

Yoshino straightened and patted her stomach. "Being pregnant was horrible for me. Not to mention I looked horrible with a baby bump, which is probably why my kid turned out so ugly." Shikamaru snapped up from under the sheets and yelled, "Hey!" but Yoshino continued, "You'll have such an adorable baby! You have a nice face—I'm sure it'll cancel out my son's atrocities."

Ino giggled.

"Huh, I forget why I came in here but I'll let you two start your day now. Ino, you be careful, okay?"

Ino held her smile, waving at Shikamaru's mother until the door banged shut against the door frame. Shikamaru rose from his bed and chuckled, "I need should bring you around more often."

"I am known as a parent charmer."

Shikamaru hesitated but gained the courage to peck her on the cheek. He smiled at the bewilderment that was Ino. "Let's get ready."

* * *

The inn the civilians from Kumokagure stayed at was guarded by Chunin probably because the special service Jonin, Jonin and ANBU were doing something more secretive and dangerous elsewhere. The younger Chunin eyed Ino as she passed them at the entrance, leaning over and whispering to one another.

"All because of _her_…?" a younger brunette girl asked.

The boy she spoke to whispered, "I hear she's some badass from Intel. I can see why all of this is necessary."

Ino smirked.

"Oh, Shikamaru!" Minako greeted when the two entered the lobby. She grinned at the boy. Her beam widened when she greeted Ino. That's the Minako she knew. "Good morning, Ino. How have you been?"

"I've been better." She took a second to look at Shikamaru who sauntered over to talk to the receptionist. "Things are beginning to look up, though."

Minako's mood faltered at Ino's last comment, her smile disappearing for a quick second. "That's so good to hear," she said through clenched teeth as if she strained to say that simple sentence. "Jin and Konan will be down soon. Funny how the woman is the first to be ready…"

"Hey," Konan waved over at Ino and Shikamaru. Minako, who had her back to Konan, stiffened, sucking in a sharp breath. "Jin is still getting ready," Konan explained. "He'll be down soon."

"Ino," Minako whispered. Ino took her eyes away from the black haired man who leaned against the receptionist's desk and began to flirt with her, not like the woman minded. Minako stared at Ino with frightened eyes. Hazel eyes beckoned over in the direction of Konan, making Ino pinch her eyebrows together. Minako slowly glanced over at Konan who still look distracted and turning her attention back to the blonde, she mouthed, "Help me."

"Good morning, everyone!" Jin bellowed as he entered the lobby. "Sorry for taking so long."

Ino noticed the right side of his face looked a bit redder and swollen compared to the left. He grinned as if he wasn't aware he couldn't open his right eye as much as his left and the right side of his mouth didn't perk up like his left when he smiled. Ino was positive he didn't notice himself wincing…. Ino glanced at Konan who gathered Minako and Jin under his shoulder, herding them out of the inn.

"You notice…?" Shikamaru whispered, his eyes following the three survivors.

"Yep."

"Think we should keep an eye on him?"

"Yep."

Shikamaru created a shadow clone to investigate the three's room and ask the guards if they heard any commotion going on in their room while the real Nara and Ino accompanied the Kumo civilians as they grocery shopped.

"I thought I could make everyone lunch today," Ino said. "Does miso soup sound okay?"

Jin smiled at her, but she wanted to grimace at his face for it was throbbing and swelling. "Anything is fine by me, Ino."

"Yeah, me too," Konan agreed as he dropped cans into the cart he pushed along the aisles.

Konan led the group as they journeyed through the store, doing all the talking in conversations, picking out all the food and deciding what they should have for dinner and desert. Jin stood back and just smiled. Minako trailed behind the group, but Shikamaru stayed back with her, quietly speaking with her. Minako looked guarded, almost afraid. "Huh," Ino mumbled to herself. "Wonder what's wrong?"

"Ino?"

Ino jumped at the sudden call. Ino turned to meet up-close lavender eyes. Gasping, she was taken aback a couple steps, her back hitting the shelf and making the items rattle against one another. She looked up again to see surprised coal eyes staring at her.

"Everything all right?" Konan asked.

Ino shook her head, trying to throw the illusion out of her mind. "Yeah, fine."

* * *

"Ino," Minako said, linking her arms with Ino's, "will you walk with me please?"

She saw Konan discontinue what he was doing to glare at Minako who just beamed up at Ino. Ino nodded. "Sure."

They walked down a desolate sidewalk, heading towards the bridge. Ino hadn't walked around the area very often, only being here when the team gathered for missions but it's been a while since that happened.

"I have so much to say," Minako said almost happier, back to the old Minako. Her curls bounced as she sprang down the way, humming. Her happiness, the good-go-lucky persona didn't meet her eyes, however. Deep in her hazel eyes, Ino could tell they were focused on another issue. She stopped skipping and sighed. "Ever since we left Kumo, things are tense between Konan and Jin now."

Ino glanced over her shoulder at Shikamaru who was lagging behind them, giving them space for "their girly talk". He seemed to be more entranced by the clouds above them than the information Minako was about to spill.

"They had a fight about where to go. Jin was thinking about his wife while Konan thought about business. Jin wanted to go separate ways now that everything was destroyed but somehow Konan managed to convince him to come here. I was dragged along I guess. It's safer and there are a lot of opportunities to open businesses in Konoha he said, but Jin misses his wife a lot."

"Didn't he have a grandkid?"

"He disappeared about two months ago. Jin filed a missing person report but they never got back to him. It was weird. The kid was just taken from his room before dinner. Jin is heartbroken about it."

"What happened to his face by the way?"

They reached the bridge. Minako squeezed between the wooden pillars and dangled her feet, staring at the shallow water below. The blonde look-a-like gazed at the water hard, eyebrows pinched and a stress wrinkle on her forehead. "Lady Tsunade was talking about some Chunin exams. What are they?" she asked, completely disregarded Ino's question.

Slightly annoyed, Ino sighed. She leaned against the railing. "It's a test the rookies take for a promotion."

"Hm, is it hard?"

Ino half-smiled and then wondered why since the Chunin exams memories definitely weren't smile worthy. "For a civilian like you, it'd be difficult. Everyone had a hard time the year I taken it." Ino recalled snippets of those days, the days when Sasuke was on the hunt for power, when Orochimaru was on the rise and hot for the destruction of this precious village and when she attempted seducing Hyuuga Neji for the sake of her team's safety. "We were forced to postpone results because the village decided to turn into a warzone that day." Those were definitely the days….

"Wow, really?" Minako's hazels were wide. This woman was not one to keep up with foreign affairs.

"There are some crazy people out there."

* * *

Shikamaru could hear Minako share news of the survivors. He admitted that he was disappointed when she totally ignored Ino's question about Jin but his shadow clone was still snooping around the inn, asking the guards what they knew about the three. He'll soon find out when he released the technique.

As they passed one of the training grounds, he saw a bullet of moppy, rust hair dart from tree to tree, across the meadow, ripple across the pond and it clung to the chain-linked fence. The boy cocked his head to the side, staring at Shikamaru. Shikamaru bit down sudden fear as the young boy glowered at him through foggy, distant eyes.

He was a creep.

"You're ready for the finals?" Shikamaru questioned, shoving his hands deep in his pocket and hoping the calm façade would work. He recognized the boy. The one that almost went ape shit on that bulldozer back in the prelims. Hideaki was the name.

"You spying on me?" he asked monotonously. A slow grin crept across his face, freaking Shikamaru out a bit more but he kept his ground and remained restful eye contact. The boy released a full on grin, from ear-to-ear. "You're shaking, Sir."

Damn it. Shikamaru lifted a hand and what do you know? His hand shook uncontrollable. Balling his hand into an unsteady fist, Shikamaru flashed a nervous grin at the boy. "Smoking withdrawals—it gets to ya," he lied.

"Liar," he said, pronouncing each syllable slowly. "I think you're scared," Hideaki accused.

A hard lump formed in Shikamaru's throat. He swallowed it down and cursed at the boy for being so observant. Just as he was about to respond, a blood curdling scream echoed in the air and the boy leaped off the fence, crackling a witchy laugh.

* * *

Minako changed. She wasn't the happy-go-lucky twenty-something that would chat Ino's ear off every second they were together. The girl held a secret. Every time she began a sentence, she stopped herself and mumbled, "Never mind." Then she could continue to kick her legs and watch the river rush underneath the bridge they sat on.

"Minako, I'm here to listen. If you want to say something, just say it," Ino assured.

The woman's lips trembled and tears welded up in her eyes. Her hands trembled in her lap. "Ino," Minako started, closing her eyes, "Jin and I have a secret. He got hurt cause he threatened to reveal it." She looked up at the sky with a gentle smile on her face before closing her eyes once more, squeezing them shut. "Ino, I'm going to die."

"What do you mean you're going to die? Everything is fine now, Minako. You're…safe."

Minako shook her head, eyes begin to squeeze tighter. She clenched her fist until the whites of her knuckle showed. "Hidan is here, Ino," she whispered. "He…came with us here." She paused for a second with her eyes tight shut but relief washed over her as if she thought something was going to happen. That's when she turned to Ino, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Ino, he's in the village _now_! Konan burned the pub! Konan and Hi—"

The blonde's mouth continued to move but words were not spoken. As Minako's mouth moved, Ino noted the three black bars tattooed near the back of her throat. That wasn't a…

Minako's face slacked, her fists loosened and the weight of her legs caused her to slip into the river. Ino leaned over the rail to see scarlet coloring the water around the body and Minako's dead, hazel eyes looking up at her from the water, just like that time at the swamp in Kumo when she found that head. Those eyes were the eyes of a frightened, dead girl

Ino's vision focused on those eyes that stared at her. Those eyes were calling for help this whole entire time and Ino didn't understand. She felt the weight of her world falling down on her shoulders, the reality of it all pressing down on her body. This was real, he was real, and he was here and the only thing Ino could do at that point was scream.

* * *

"You killed her!" Jin pointed a finger at Ino. Shikamaru stepped in front of her. "Huh, Ino? Of course you killed her! All you ninja are all the fucking same! Killing for the sake of pleasure—makes me sick!"

Shikamaru balled his hands. "Weren't you telling me how proud you were of your son? Wasn't he a shinobi, huh?" he barked. Jin just glowered at him. Ino refused to make eye contact with the man.

Tsunade tapped her fingers on her desk with her teeth biting into her bottom lip, eyes switching from each other the speakers—mainly Jin and Shikamaru.

Ino couldn't get Minako's eyes out of her head. That morning, they were hopeful and frightened. She hoped that Ino could save her. Minako was terrified that she was under the watchful eye of a monster. Ino didn't have one fucking clue.

Her body was taken into Intel for an autopsy. Ino shuddered at the image of her body, so alive a second before she was whisked away in the arms of a Black Ops member.

"Jin," Konan butted in, gaining Ino's immediate attention. He looked smug as if he harbored his own inside joke that he refused to tell everyone else. "Aren't you being a bit rash? Ino wouldn't kill Minako; they were best friends. Besides she's pregnant, she'd be in labor if she exerted so much energy into murdering someone."

Ino's palm twitched, wanting to smack the guy across the face.

"Minako has been with Ino all day! What make you think someone else killed her?"

"Because someone else did!" Ino shouted, pushing Shikamaru out of the way and walking up to Konan. She stared him straight in the eye. Konan's cocky frontage faltered. "Jin, I have a feeling you know exactly what killed Minako."

Konan smirked. "You're looking at me because…?"

Tsunade slammed her hands on her desk. "Enough! Konan, Jin, back to the inn and remain there for the rest of the night. Shikamaru, Ino, home now. We'll figure it out when the autopsy results come to us in three days. That's when we'll discuss this incident."

Ino marched down the stairs and straight to her apartment. She ran on adrenaline even Shikamaru struggled to keep up with her. "Ino," he huffed, "are you okay?"

"Hell no," Ino snapped. "Konan is behind something and I think it has to deal with Hidan. Before she died, I noticed a curse mark on Minako's tongue." Shikamaru stopped in his tracks. Ino stopped and turned. "Once she mentioned Konan, she shut down."

"You think Konan put that on her?"

"Hidan or Konan."

"That's a very high leveled jutsu."

"We're dealing with an S-ranked criminal and a man that we're not sure what he's capable of. I think there's a good chance one of them put it on her and Jin."

* * *

"Hi, Ino," Sakura huffed as she hopped the stairs. Ino leaned against the wall, ear pressed against the door of the conference room. "If someone catches you doing that, you could have your ear chopped off according to the crazy old laws of Konohagakure."

Ino frowned at her best friend's humor. "I can't hear anything anyway," she sighed in defeat. She stepped towards Sakura. "Shikamaru said he'll be in there for a while. I guess it's a huge important meeting. I think Suna ANBU are in there….Thank you for taking time off to walk me home by the way." Ino suddenly slouched, pouting. "I'm such a burden to everyone."

Sakura slung an arm around Ino's shoulder and pulled her close. "Nonsense! We love you, Ino and I love you even more because you scored me an early end to my day. Having your pregnant self around is a win-win!"

"And Shikamaru…"

Sakura pursed her lips and hummed. "Shikamaru likes you, no? That boy will go to the ends of the earth to make sure you're safe." They reached outside and began to walk the inclined slope to their apartment. "He is the father isn't he?"

Ino remained quiet. Sakura began to hum a happy tune before Ino stopped, yanking Sakura back since she still had an arm around her. "Sakura…" she stopped herself. Did she want to tell her know? That Shikamaru being the father was a hoax. "Uh, are you excited for the finals tomorrow?"

Her pink haired friend hesitated to answer. "Are you sure you're okay to watch the final matches tomorrow?" Sakura questioned as the two began to stroll down the side streets once again. "I'm sure it's broadcasted on T.V."

Ino waved her friend off. "Shikamaru arranged some special seating for me, next to Naruto and Tsunade so I wasn't in the crowd."

"What?" Sakura groaned. "You get to sit next to the Kages and I'm stuck with everyone else and their grandmothers in the pit? There's something totally unfair about that."

Like a dog, Sakura's head snapped up. She raised a hand to signal Ino to stop walking. Ino strained her ears to listen but she heard faint footsteps ahead of them, someone running up to them. Was it Shikamaru catching up to them?

The streetlights flicked as the footsteps sounded louder. A young boy about thirteen with floppy, brown hair skidded to a stopped before the blonde and the pink haired women with his hands shoved deep in his pocket. He appeared relaxed despite roaming around town at nearly eleven in the evening; he looked a bit bored…. He flicked a finger in Ino's direction. "Ino, yeah?" he asked. Before she could answer, he raked his hair back with a hand and grinned, "Behind you."

Sakura and Ino spun on their heels. He emerged from the trees and stood in the spotlight of the street lamp with an open cloak, grinning ear to eat with his three pronged scythe hoisted on his right shoulder. Sakura snatched Ino's hand and began to back away.

"Shit," Sakura mumbled. She turned to Ino and half grinned as if she was trying to keep the situation light. "You know what I heard about him?"

"What?"

Sakura grabbed Ino and leaped out of the way as he launched his weapon in their direction. "He's immortal."

"Fuck."

As they landed, Sakura still in a crouch position glanced over her shoulder and quickly sprang forward again just as the scythe lodged itself into the sidewalk. Ino watched the man sprint after them as they glided through the air. The man brought his arm back and chucked his weapon again. As if Sakura knew, she leaned just as the scythe passed them, missing Ino's face just by a hair.

Sakura landed and set Ino down on her feet. Sakura whipped out a kunai and turned, shielding her body from the blades. She pushed back and kicked the weapon away only for it to come back. "Shit, where'd that little boy go?" Ino immediately reached into her holster and armed herself. Sakura countered the scythe once more. "Ino," she heaved, wincing as she was pushed back a step, "run."

"Run!" Hidan laughed. "Yes, run; let's see how far she gets!"

Ino gawked at the silver haired man that charged at her friend, eyes set on Ino however. His eyes were wide with excitement, a maniacal grin plastered on his face just like in her dreams. "No, I can't," Ino whispered.

"Damn it; think of the baby, Ino!" Sakura rolled up her sleeved and forced a chakra charged punch into the ground, shattering the sidewalk Hidan ran on. Hidan bounced off the pieces with ease and before the two could blink, he towered before them beaming with absolute delight. Sakura, through clenched teeth, growled "Ino, fucking run _now_."

Her feet moved despite her mind saying otherwise, despite the clashes of metal to metal, grunts of exertion and diabolical laughed, despite the fact that she wanted to help. She kept running. _Forgive me. _

"You're not going anywhere," the boy popped up from the darkness, bouncing off the ground with one foot and taking a swipe at her with a kunai. Ino felt a surge of instant power run down her leg as she slid and leaped back. Did she just use…? Shit.

The unnamed boy didn't give her anytime to recover. He pounced, kunai upright and ready. He slashed the blade in her direction. Ino grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. She planted her elbow on the back of his neck and allowed him to fall unconscious.

"I'm so sorry," she chanted as she ripped the weapon from his hand and pocketed it.

A warm liquid spread down her legs, omitting a foul smell. Ino gagged but it was quickly replaced with a scream when a pain shot from her stomach, rolling up her spine and spreading throughout the rest of her body. Her mind pulsed at the sudden agonizing sting surging through her body. Ino winced and leaned against a tree, gasping for air. She slid down the tree. This couldn't be happening now.

She was in too much agony due to her contraction to realize the pain of a sudden piercing sensation in her left shoulder. Ino glanced over and nearly laughed to see a slim, ridged dagger cutting through her shoulder and pinning her body to the tree. "Damn," Ino squeaked, wrapping her hands around the handle. She tugged. Ino bit her lip and released her grip.

"Fancy meeting you here this fine evening, Blonde," Hidan cooed, materializing before her. He crouched down and grabbed her chin between his index and thumb.

"Sakura…"

"I wouldn't be worrying about your friend if I were in your position right now." He smiled and cocked his head to the side. The grip on her chin tightened, making Ino wince. "It's true that pregnant women do glow." Ino couldn't stop shaking, her hands, her shoulders, legs, arms, lips. They wouldn't stop. Hidan caressed his thumb across her bottom lip. "How cute; you're scared."

Ino winced as another contraction erupted through her body, sending her nerves on pain overload. She wanted to throw up, thinking that her daughter had part of Hidan in her. The man that was going to kill her was part of this baby but she mostly wanted to puke because their death was coming soon. Ino didn't get the chance to meet her daughter.

He grinned as he released her chin. A finger trailed down her neck, her breast and it slid over the round of her stomach. He paused and pressed a hand on her stomach. Ino closed her eyes. "It's a shame that I have to kill you before you give birth. I bet our little tyke would have been a monster." His eyes shimmered.

Hidan finally rose and picked up his scythe from the ground. This was it.

"It's been fun, really," Hidan admitted as he took his weapon and examined the three blades, sliding a finger across each one. Ino shivered. "I love a wild goose chase every once in a while but after it's gone on for months and months, it's time to call quits, right?" As he rested his weapon on his shoulder, he chuckled. "Earlier today I was bitching about how I was so over this fucking game. It's got to be my lucky day."

Ino watched him as he adjusted the scythe to his other shoulder and leaned his weight to a hip. She waited for him to attack, but he stood there with a confused stare.

"You're not going to say anything?"

"I…have nothing to say," Ino breathed.

"No last words? No 'oh, you bastard' or 'you're going to pay'? Any sort of shit like that?"

Ino smirked and shook her head. "Nope."

"Well, Blondie, you made my job a lot easier. I usually listen to a fucking five minute sob story," he said as he hoisted his weapon over his head.

Ino chuckled. "Do you prefer one?"

"No fucking thanks."

Ino felt a strange sense of de ja vu seeing Hidan with his scythe raised above his head.

Ino grabbed the dagger and pulled, jumping out of the way just in time to see the tree be sliced in half. Another contraction rolled through her. Ino fell to her knees and hands, crying out in pain. She could hear his footsteps. Ino closed her eyes, knowing that this time she wasn't coming out alive.

"Ah, fuck. Again?" Hidan snarled. Ino's head snapped up. The silver haired man had his weapon behind his head, ready to spring forward and drive it through Ino but try as he might he couldn't budge.

From the darkness of the trees, Shikamaru stepped out. "Are you okay, Ino?" Ino sighed and fell onto her butt. Thank God for Shikamaru.

"You bastard!" Sakura hollered, coming from behind the trees and landing a solid punch into his face. Hidan fell backwards but unable to move, he couldn't defend himself from Sakura landing on top of him and bestowing his face with fistfuls. She cried out curses and threats. "You hurt my fucking best friend! I'll kill you, you bastard!"

Ino huffed and allowed herself to relax, only she cried out as she felt her intestines twisting and squeezes; her organs were on fire. Beyond Sakura's cries and Shikamaru's ragged breathing as he lost chakra every passing minute, Ino heard footsteps, calm steps from behind her. Ino leaned on another tree and turned her attention to her right.

"You're behind everything." she heaved. "You killed all those women. It was your idea, huh?" Ino quickly grabbed a kunai and flung it at his forehead. The blade clanked and fell to his feet, inflicting what seemed to be no damaged. She did, however, cause the hood to fall.

"Are you trying to pull some double agent move or something?" Ino winced as she felt the tug of the dagger in her shoulder. Konan took off his Cloud hitae-ate and tried to wipe off the scratch the blade made. "The Raikage is going to have a fit."

"It's really nothing personal, Ino." Konan meandered over to her and pressed a foot against her shin. "Jin's damned son killed my family. He killed them.

"So you're killing me? He died. Isn't that revenge enough?"

"Oh no." Konan grabbed Ino's hair and pulled, causing her shoulder to rub against the blade. Ino screamed as the pain and another contraction clouded her mind with absolute agony. "This is just my form of revenge. Kill his employees and then kill his family. I hired Hidan to do my dirty work, keep my tracks clean but obviously, when you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

"You're morbid."

"You'll be a special one, though. You'll be my trophy kill." With that, he slammed his foot down on her shin, causing an ear numbing crack. Ino holler at the pain of it all. In the midst of all the suffering, she managed to drive a kunai into unwittingly Konan's chest.

Konan dropped to his knees, landing on Ino's broken leg. With her good leg, she kicked him off. Just before she made contact, Konan ripped the dagger from her hands. Ino winced, waiting for his attack but it never came.

Instead, she heard screaming echo in her ears. She watched Shikamaru take a step back, releasing the jutsu. Ino began to crawl. She felt light headed and her vision blurred as she made her way closer.

Her shoulder hurt. Her leg hurt. Her whole body hurt.

"Arrest that man!" a woman hollered. Ino noted a handful of men in black appeared on top of Hidan. She heard stomping as Sakura ran over to her but her voice was a hum in her ears. All the noise was distant.

Her eyes never left Shikamaru who slowly buckled to the ground. His hand pressed against the wound. The dagger completely pierced through him. He peered at Ino through hazy eyes and smiled. She watched his lips move and then he smiled at her again before collapsing to the ground.

The scene before her rushed into her senses. Sakura leaned over her, asking if she was all right. Tsunade ordered the ANBU. ANBU carried away a thrashing Hidan. Konan was dead just a little ways from her. The little boy was still unconscious. Contractions, light headedness, a broken leg. Shikamaru.

"Get these two to the E.R _now!_"

Ino laid her head down and closed her eyes.

…About fucking time.


	40. Crawl: Crawl

**Fun fact: I have some affinity to names that start with M. Why? I have no clue. **

**I apologize for the wait. In the past month, I've gone through two moves and it's a bit hard to do anything when I'm constantly packing. **

**Anyway, this is the last chapter. There could be an epilogue but I'm still toying with how I want it to end. To sequel or not to sequel that is the question. **

**I want to thank everyone that has followed me throughout the story. It was definitely fun. Please join me in my upcoming stories. **

**Please enjoy the last chapter of Crawl.**

* * *

**Ch. 40  
****Crawl**

* * *

Ino could feel the tension in the atmosphere. It was rushed, panicked. Even through her impaired vision, she watched people hustled back and forth, people ordered others around, hands touched her, sewing her wounds, casting her legs and taking her temperature. They were all blurs, of course.

Was this all a dream?

"What's going on?" she murmured but her words were trapped in her throat. She swallowed hard and spoke again but nothing was voice. Her mouth shaped the words but no sound. With one last stitch and mold, the figures disappeared one by one from her sight, leaving her anxious. She didn't have the strength to lift her head and look around the glowing room. "What's happening?" she repeated, pushing her voice through the block in her throat.

She had to be dead. She was in Hell.

A cool hand stroked Ino's forehead. She was a pale figure with black hair. "You'll be okay Ino," a familiar voice soothed, but it wasn't his voice, the voice she wanted to hear. "Your baby is on the way," the voice explained slowly. Ino blinked one, twice. Baby?

"I'm…baby?"

"You're about 7 centimeters dilated, okay?" She spoke slowly, annunciating almost every syllable. "We have to wait a bit longer." The voice then laughed a melodic giggle. It soothed Ino, almost making her smile even though she was in outrageous pain…at least she thought she was. "You are so lucky you didn't strain yourself enough to be at risk of a miscarriage."

Another voice sounded from the other side of her bed. Ino kept her gaze at the ceiling. The person that stroked her hair was still in sight but she didn't look at Ino; she looked at the one who spoke from the other side. "She's lucky Sakura and Shikamaru came when they did," and in a lower volume as if to keep it from Ino's ears, the other voice mumbled, "and they're lucky we came in or they'd all be dead."

Dead

"H-Hidan," Ino croaked as she fell victim to her eyes drooping from exhausted and perhaps all the painkillers they injected in her.

The woman petting her hair hesitated for a second. She then continued combing her fingers through Ino's hair. Ino allowed her eyes closed and focus on the lady's fingers gently raking through her hair. It was nice. "Focus on the baby now, Ino. We'll fill you in when you're healthy."

"Wait, wait!" Ino grazed her fingers on the woman's arm as she began to walk away. The fuzzy figure spun around to look at her. "Shikamaru, Sakura."

A blonde, curvy shadow appeared by her side. She was dressed in white clad. Ino knew who that was but she wasn't the one Ino wanted. Tsunade snapped a glove onto her hand. "Don't worry about them now and just concentrate on yourself."

"No, no." Ino shook her head but immediately stopped when her world began to spin. Ino laughed at the dizzying sensation. "Woah," she chuckled, closing her eyes. She opened them when her head felt less dizzy and focused them on Tsunade whose face looked clearer than before. "P-Please tell me where they are. Are they going to be all right?"

Tsunade sighed, cocking her hip, a defeated stance. "Will you calm down?"

Ino nodded slowly.

The Hokage was reluctant at first. "Shikamaru is in surgery right now. He took a critical hit to the stomach. Dumb ass refuses to be put under but don't worry; we have the finest in Konoha caring for him. Sakura only had a few cuts and bruises, so she's in there with the team." Tsunade caressed Ino's forehead, an action Ino never imagined Tsunade doing towards her. "You, young woman, have a minor wound in your shoulder and Konan decided to break your fucking leg. Also, not to mention you're having a baby. You must have been in some serious pain back there."

Ino couldn't recall. She was now in the world of awesome pain killers and Cloud High.

"Promise me that Shikamaru will be okay."

Tsunade pursed her lip, eyes saddened. She stroked Ino's head again. "I will do my best, okay?"

"Lady Tsunade, you're needed A.S.A.P," a medic said hurriedly as he burst through the door. "Sakura needs your help now."

* * *

If only Sakura saw that dagger coming in on time. Shikamaru's blood wouldn't be coating her clothes, hands, and skin. If she saw that dagger coming, she would have deflected it with one of her own. She would have saved him.

"There's too much blood," Sakura hollered at the team that was scurrying around the operating room with towels, water and clean tools. Each and every one of them was covered in this man's blood, Sakura being the one drenched.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura exerted an extra amount of chakra into the pouring wound, hoping it would cauterize it. Her brain rushed through all the options but her mind kept running back to the memory of watching the weapon drive through Shikamaru. If only…

Shaking her head, Sakura returned to the bleeding shinobi on the operation table. "Can someone bring in Tsunade?" Sakura shouted and someone hurried out of the door. "C'mon Shikamaru, you have to stay with me!"

Shikamaru passed out from the pain a few hours ago. The last words he said were, "Take care of Ino." Sakura knew taking care of the Nara boy would be taking care of Ino. If Ino found out that Shikamaru didn't make it through surgery, she would fail his wishes and his blood would be on her hands forever.

Sakura allowed her chakra to flow, hoping it would seal…something. The weapon luckily missed his organs but it did create a small sliver on his stomach wall, which Sakura easily healed. However, the hard part was fixing the wound. She never healed a wound that went straight through someone. Where did she start?

"You called?" Tsunade rushed over to Sakura's side, shoving away everyone that stood in her path. She even bumped Sakura away with her hip. "I thought I taught you how to do this, Sakura," Tsunade snapped but she sounded as if she were joking. Sakura wondered how someone could joke in a time like this.

"I'll need remedial lessons after this."

"Sa…kura." Sakura watched Shikamaru's eyes slowly open and his face turned in her direction. He was smiling. "How's Ino?" He winced, hissing as Tsunade healed his injury.

"She's fine, Shikamaru," she said gently. "Please, focus on healing."

"Yeah, Nara," Tsunade grumbled. She glanced at Sakura. "I need to go fast; I have a baby to deliver any second now and I promised the girl this boy would live."

* * *

"Shit!" Her stomach tightened as if her own body was trying to constrict her. Ino clenched Shizune's hand as hard as she could as the pressure in her pelvic area became unbearable. "I can't, I can't," Ino chanted, shaking her head. "Please, please, I can't!"

Ino cried at a sudden burn sensation between her legs. That was new.

"Ino, for the love of all that is good and glory, push!" Tsunade hollered. Ino's breath was hitched after nearly six hours of pushing. Ino just couldn't do it anymore. Her body wanted to give up, fall limp. Maybe the baby could stay there while she slept for a few hours. After the fifth hour, she was tuckered out. "C'mon, Yamanaka, three seconds!"

"Ino," Shizune whispered, "the more you push, the sooner you get to meet your daughter. All of this will be over if you just push."

Taking a giant breath and tucking her chin in to her chest, she pushed through the bottom of her feet, wincing as the pressure began to tear her apart. Her broken leg felt heavy and it hurt from applying pressure. Ino held her breath and pushed. Three seconds felt like minutes as Tsunade counted aloud in a slow pace, probably reciting the damn Konoha constitution in her head before proceeding to the next number.

"Good job, Ino. She's crowning, all right? One more, 'kay?"

The door slid open. Ino wanted to rip off the head of whoever thought it was okay to barge in with everything exposed. However, Shikamaru shuffled in, keeping his balance by placing a hand on the wall. He had his arm wrapped around her stomach.

"Shikamaru?"

"Damn it, PUSH!" Tsunade barked. Ino pushed again, hoping it would be the last. The pressure was relieved and Ino could lean her head back and breath. She looked up at Shikamaru to ask if he were all right. Shikamaru's eyes grew wide; staring at what could be a crime scene between her legs. His eyes rolled back into his head.

"Damn it," Tsunade cursed, watching Shikamaru lose his balance and crash to the ground. "I need clean up, please!" Tsunade beckoned over to the Nara crumpled on the floor before wrapping the baby and wiping her off.

Blissful cries echoed in the room, the cry of her baby, her daughter. Grinning, Tsunade strolled over to Ino and leaned to show her a pink, beautiful infant with a tuff of blonde hair and a button nose. Ino's lips pulled up in a smile before dropped her head onto the pillow. The weight on her shoulders vanished, angels sung and Ino fell asleep.

* * *

She was crawling again, staring up at Shikamaru. Her eyes never left Shikamaru who slowly buckled to the ground. His hands pressed against his wound, blood covered his hands and dripped down his clothes, creating a puddle of scarlet where he stood. Blood dribbled down his chin as he coughed, wincing as his stomach contracted around the blade. The dagger completely pierced through him, entering his torso and the tip peeked from his back.

The way he turned his head and smiled at Ino seemed like it was in slow motion. Ino watched his lips curve into a smile. His lips moved around words she didn't catch before. He said, "Take care of Minori, okay?"

Ino woke.

Foggy morning light shone into her room, rays of lights dancing along the gray walls of her hospital room. The curtains were partially drawn and from where Ino lie, she could see the sun peeking above the walls and illuminating the mountainous horizon. She could almost see the trees.

Ino dragged her legs over the side of the bed, slightly surprised when her right leg felt weighed down. A cerulean casted covered her leg, from her foot up to mid-thigh and the sight of the cast definitely earned a frown from the blonde woman.

At the end of her bed, she heard someone sigh and someone ruffle her sheets. "Ino?" a groggy voice called. Sakura was smiling at her with half-lidded eyes and half her face red from resting her face on her arms. "Thank goodness; you're okay."

"Yeah, but how are you?"

Sakura shrugged and straightened her posture. "A bit drained but I'm fine."

Ino bit the inside of her lip. She could have sworn Hidan did more damage to Sakura. "What happened to Hidan?"

"He managed to escape. ANBU followed him to the border but explosives cut them off before they could capture him. But, I don't think he'll be back any time soon." Sakura sighed but quickly beamed at Ino when she noticed her best friend's eyes on her face. "Konan is dead, Hidan is gone and the boy is back with his grandfather!"

"Boy?"

Sakura nodded. "The little boy that approached us before Hidan was Jin's grandson. He was at Intel all night, I guess. When he woke up, he gladly told Ibiki everything. Apparently Konan kidnapped him and 'brain washed' him. Entering the kid in the Chunin exams was probably Konan's indirect way of killing him."

A sense of relief washed of Ino. She thought about killing the child but thankfully, in this situation, her morals took the best of her. Now, Jin and his grandson can live together once more.

A soft coo caught Ino's attention. The sound froze every cell, every muscle in Ino's body. Ino glanced at Sakura, wide eyed, but the pink haired girl just grinned at her, her eyes holding warmth in them. Another coo came from the side of Ino's bed. Ino, slowly, glanced over her shoulder to see a small hospital crib sitting beside her bed. Ino hastily heaved her leg—as quickly as she could with the fifty pounds weighting down her right leg—over to the other side of the bed and peered into the crib.

She was blush pink and very, very small. Ino never expected someone that caused her to grow to the size of two watermelons be so small. She was pale pink with rosy cheeks and under her cute, white cap were tuff of blonde hair.

Ino spent many months, days and hours imagining what her daughter would look like. She imagined her as a monster, just like Hidan. Ino feared that she would raise her only to find out that she acted more of Hidan.

Her baby whimpered and shifted her head towards Ino, eyes closed. Ino felt her heart contract. Never in those months did Ino picture chubby flushed cheeks and a cute button nose. She never pictured something so utterly perfectly that it physically hurt to look at her.

Cautiously, Ino ran the side of her index finger across the newborn's cheek, earning another whimper and causing Ino to catch her breath and draw her hand back. How could an insane sadist and someone like Ino create someone so amazing and beautiful? How did Ino not know that a being so lovely and perfect grew inside of her?

Ino rubbed her eyes and her hands came away wet. Tears.

The feeling was unimaginable. Her emotions fluttered in her stomach, in her chest, in her mind and no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't describe this moment in words. Was she in awe? Joy? Ino wiped away her tears and continued to stare at her daughter.

Her chest felt like it wanted to explode but out of what? Ino didn't have a clue but she didn't care. Looking at the little one resting in the crib erased every single worry Ino had and replaced it with one word: love.

There was a quiet knock at the door. Without waiting for a response, Tsunade tiptoed in with a small grin playing on her lips. "How are you?" she whispered and leaned over the crib, her grin growing as she looked at the newborn. "She's adorable."

Ino didn't—couldn't—say anything.

"Have you thought of a name?"

Shikamaru's voice whispered a name in her mind. Ino shook her head.

"She's surprisingly healthy. All that stress on your body and she's fine. Did you ever think that she pretty much as the right to two clan techniques now?"

Ino snorted. "We'll think about it when she gets older…. Oh, Tsunade…"

Tsunade grumbled something under her breath and pointed to the other side of the bed without taking her eyes off the baby. "Down the hall, room 105."

The cast was definitely difficult to maneuver around in but and didn't think her shoulder would have been much of a hassle but it was. As she pushed herself down the hall, she grimaced every time she lifted her shoulder to roll the wheelchair down the hall. Ino didn't like the fact that she was leaving her child but she needed to see Shikamaru.

"Here, let me help." Sakura pushed her down the hall, relieving Sakura of reopening her wound.

Ino didn't bother knocking. Sakura wheeled her in, stopping at the doorway. He was sleeping, strapped to various machines with different tubes and wires attached to his body. Ino gulped. He couldn't be in that bad a condition, could he?

Sakura rolled Ino over to the bed and parked her at his side. "I'll leave you two," she whispered. Ino didn't watch her friend leave. She grabbed Shikamaru's hand and squeezed. The tears began to stream again, just seeing the man that helped her through everything in the past months strapped to a bed in a critical condition. Ino sniffed and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"She's beautiful," Ino began. "I've never laid my eyes on something that I loved so much."

Ino watched Shikamaru gently breathe. The heart monitor beeped at a normal speed. He looked like he was in pain with his eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his face. Ino kissed his hand.

"I…am so sorry, Shikamaru," she wept. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't have gotten hurt. You _definitely_ shouldn't have come into the room while I was in labor; you probably made your wounds worse, you idiot." Ino sighed. "I hope you're just asleep….I don't what I would do without you, Shikamaru."

Ino loosened her hand to roll away but his hand latched on to hers, stopping her.

"I'm awake," he coughed, peeking through one eye. "I'm just in a lot of fucking pain."

Ino couldn't contain it. The emotions jump out and caused Ino to leap out of her chair, balancing her body on one leg. She leaned over Shikamaru, one hand on either side of his face.

"Ino?"

She didn't answer. Just kissed him.

"So," Ino said, still hovering over him after she released the kiss. "Minori, huh?"

Shikamaru flushed. "I like it."

Ino smiled. "I do, too" and kissed him again.

"Good morning, Shika—AHH!"

Shizune had her clipboard covering her face. She peeked over the side to see the two staring at her, completely crippled and flushed. Ino hurriedly—in a slow manner—sat back in her wheelchair and laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "Good morning, Shizune."

* * *

Minori's toothless mouth perked at the corners as Shikamaru tickled her stomach, cooing at her. Ino smiled at the two from her bed. Shikamaru never ceased to surprise her—when she thought he was terrible with kids, he had to go and do this. He constantly talked to Minori, kissed her, played with her and it took everything Ino had not to jump on him, squealing at how cute he was.

It's been three days since Minori was born. The past three days were surprisingly the best and Ino felt well rested besides the fact she woke up every two hours to feed and clean her daughter. During the day, as Ino rested, Shikamaru would keep their daughter company like he was now.

"Who's the cutest baby in the whole wide world?" Shikamaru mumbled as he wiggled his finger into Minori's grasp. "You are!"

Lavender eyes crinkled as the newborn attempted another smile. The sight was heart wrenching.

Ino's smile faded as her daughter's eyes averted to her. Ino, as much as she did love Minori, couldn't help but feel disappointed that Minori had, in fact, inherited something from Hidan, those stunning, pale violet eyes.

Sakura was the first to see Minori open her eyes, which was when Ino was in Shikamaru's room. When Ino arrived, Sakura was staring at the newborn with wet eyes. Sakura quickly wiped the tears away and replacing her frown with a fake smile.

"What's wrong?" Ino asked.

Sakura hesitated. "She's not really Shikamaru's, is she?"

That's when Ino noticed Minori's eyes, the exact same color as Hidan's eyes. Her stomach plummeted and without warning, Ino spilled what happened to her in Cloud, the murders, the night Hidan whisked her away, how she hated herself the past several months. Sakura listened without taking eyes off Minori and Ino told her stories the same way.

"I wish you could have told me sooner."

"I wanted to," Ino said.

"You know I'm always here."

"Yeah, I know."

"Ino," Shikamaru mumbled, nudging her in the sore side with an elbow. "You feel okay?"

Ino smiled and rested a hand at the crook of his elbow, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Yup."

She felt Shikamaru tense as footsteps echoed throughout the room, coming from behind them. Ino peeked through her peripherals. She recognized Tsunade's usual garb with her black capris and green cardigan hanging around her knees. The person next to Tsunade sported the usual black sandals and tight black pants that clung to her slender legs, forming perfectly around her curvy hips. The woman wore a white tunic, tied by a black sash under her bosom.

Shikamaru handed Minori to Ino who cradled the baby close to her chest, hard eyes glued to Kanna who was paying no attention to Minor but to Ino. Her eyes were solemn as they stared back at Ino.

Shikamaru was the first to speak. "What brings you here?" he asked through a tight voice. His eyes flashed to Ino's voice, frightened and Ino was sure she mirrored the expression.

There she was, Kanna. She was the woman Ino decided to give her daughter to, the one she thought would protect Minori and raise her. Now, as she held her violet-eyed baby, Ino knew nobody could raise or protect her as Ino would. She _knew_ that.

Kanna stepped forward, her eyes switching from Ino to Shikamaru's eyes. "I understand if you change your mind. This will be very hard for you." She paused to look at her hands. A smile twitched onto her lips before she looked up. "I'm not here to pressure you into any decision you're not ready to make; I'm here to give you my congratulations and my prayer that you two recover very quickly."

"Thank you," Ino said. She hesitated, glancing down at Minori who had her eyes half way opened and looking up at her mother. "W-Would you like to hold her?"

Kanna looked surprised. Her jaw dropped slightly and her eyes grew into giant circles but she gained her calm façade and nodded. She sat down across from Ino, eyes eagerly on the infant. Ino slid Minori into Kanna's arms, careful to keep her head supported. Kanna, with graceful mother-like ease, cradled Minori in her arms. For a second, the newborn squirmed and whimpered—Ino felt herself grinning at the fact Minori disapproved anyone else holding her besides Shikamaru and Ino—but her face calmed and nestled in Kanna's arm, causing a frown to set on Ino's face.

"I forgot how small newborns really are."

Ino merely hummed in response.

Ino's forced themselves to close as the clock ticked midnight. Shikamaru sat at the end of the bed, head resting on a pillow she had thrown at him early that night. Minori cried Ino awake, wanting to be fed.

"What are you thinking about?" Shikamaru whispered; his voice groggy. His eyes squinted at her. "You have a lot on your mind."

Ino smiled. "Her, of course."

Shikamaru lifted his head and propped it up with a hand. He was silent. Dark auburn eyes stared at her with an indifferent look.

"Hidan is still out there."

"Yeah, he is."

Ino sighed. "Call Kanna in the morning."

* * *

Sakura's comforting hand on Ino's hand dulled compared to the excruciating pain as Ino's fingers raked through her scalp. Ino's incontrollable sobs drowned Shikamaru and Sakura's pleas to stop hurting herself and calm down but Ino just couldn't as she stared down at the forms sitting in front of her.

Shikamaru's lips whispered close to her ears, getting his words in as she inhaled for another hysterical round of tears. "No one is pressuring you, Ino. Take your time."

She knew that nothing would happen until she signed those papers, consented that her child, her dearest Minori, was not hers anymore. Everyone in the room waited patiently, eyes boring sympathetically into her back. Ino could especially feel Kanna's eyes on her. Ino could feel the tension rippling from her; she could hear Kanna's heart drumming in her chest as she waited for Ino to grab the pen and sign her name. Ino knew it was going to happen but she just couldn't bring herself to grab that pen and do it.

Ino squeezed her eyes shut and allowed the hysterics to wave through her body. This was a dream. These past ten months was just a dream—no, a nightmare. It was just one long nightmare. The question was when was this nightmare going to be over? When she opened her eyes, would the nightmare be over?

"Can I open my eyes now?" Ino mumbled through her hiccups.

She felt Shikamaru tense at her side. "What?"

"C-Can I wake up?"

"Ino, open your eyes." Her eyelids were heavy from tears and fatigue but she opened them. Shikamaru gazed at her with the same red, tear swollen eyes. His lips quivered before he dropped his gaze and allowed a tear to fall down his cheek. "I wish this were a dream, Ino. I really wish it was."

Without responding, Ino turned her gaze to her friend sitting on her other side. Sakura kept her eyes staring hard at the floor, fist clenched in her lap. Teeth bit into her bottom lip. Ino's eyes wondered to three women with their backs pressed against the wall. Tsunade stared at her with a soft gaze that, for a second, surprised Ino since she was accustomed to Tsunade brutal glower. Ruke, the adoption agent, stood in the middle of the three women. She held the same concerned look in her eyes as Tsunade but a small smile played on her lips, which Ino desperately wanted to rip off. Kanna was the last woman leaning against the wall. Her body was frigid but her eyes focused on Ino sternly, waiting for Ino's decision, waiting for Ino to sign those papers.

"You will take care of my baby."

Kanna opened her mouth to speak but it quivered close, forcing her to simply nod.

"You _will_ take care of my baby."

"I—I will."

Finally, Ino's eyes wandered to the infant soundlessly resting in the crib. If Ino met her in the future, would she hate Ino for giving her up for adoption? Hate Ino for not fighting for her or would she understand that Ino did it for her protection?

With a deep breath, Ino picked up the pen. Her hand shook. Try as she might, Ino couldn't keep her hand still for long. She pressed the pen on the paper and closed her eyes. This was it. Her hand, her muscles hesitated and didn't respond to her commands. The pen dragged along the paper, almost ripping a whole into it as Ino signed her name across the dotted line.

Ino dropped the pen.

"C-Can I have a moment with her, please?" Ino wept quietly.

Four people walked out of the room. Shikamaru woke Minori from her slumber but she didn't go off into hysterics but whimpered. She looked up her mother once she was in Ino's arms.

"I want you to grow up big and strong," Ino whispers to her daughter, poking her tiny nose. Minori cooed and blinked her beautiful lavender eyes. "Drink your milk, eat fruits and veggies. Brush your teeth and don't forget your tongue. You don't want bad breath," she sniffed. Shikamaru chuckled. He wrapped an arm around her, bringing her close to his side. He kissed the top of her head. Ino felt dampness in her hair but she ignored it, her eyes never leaving the pale violet eyes of her daughter. "I want you to study hard and be a genius like Shikamaru here. Work hard in whatever you want to be. Treat Kanna and her daughter with respect; they're your family now."

Ino wiped her plummeting tears on her sleeve. "I wish you could understand why this has to be this way. One day if we meet each other again, I will tell you everything."

"Ino, it's time," Tsunade said as she entered the room with Kanna trailing behind.

Ino held her daughter tighter and kissed her forehead. "Lastly, I love you."

Kanna's appeared and scooped Minori out of Ino's arms. She listened to footsteps exit the floor, her eyes glued to the empty space in her arms. Ino allowed the tears to fall, trailing down her cheeks, down her neck, dripping into her lap. Is this what it's like to really cry?

"Ino?"

"We'll be okay. She's in good hands now." Ino nestled her head in Shikamaru's chest which was damped for his tears. "She'll be in a family where she's taken care of and loved. Kanna will always be around and she'll have a big sister to look after her. She'll be safe if Hidan ever comes back."

She looked at Shikamaru in the eye. He still shed tears for the newest member of their family. Ino's heart still ached and now yearned to hold her daughter. It would take days, maybe months to live their normal lives once again. Ino knew it'd take her years to find peace within herself but she knew Shikamaru would be there to catch her if she fell. Before living their normal lives, before learning how to be happy without that bundle of joy in their presence, before running, walking, or jumping, they would have to learn how to crawl.


End file.
